Loveshock 2 Sea of hope
by Trin-Zik
Summary: Sequel to Loveshock. This is a romance between Booker and Elizabeth; a continuation from my first fanfic. All set in the original Bioshock Infinite universe. **Updated to chapter 9** Story is now complete.
1. Ideas

First things first: warnings and disclaimer!

Of course I don't own this series. It belongs to 2K. Yes this is Booker/Beth romance. Yes, this contains incest. Yes, its probably very gross to you. Yes, you should read another fanfic if this disgusts you.

Hello all! Okay now for some notes. To those who you who read my first story this is the direct sequel to it. I decided to put my brain and heart back to work and create something that would bring you guys smiles, frowns, and everything in between. I loved that you guys loved my first story and I want to see if can attempt to pull off another mind bending fanfic. I have a big plot planned. But first I would love your input. I hope I gave you guys a good length of words to enjoy.

Now for those who haven't read the first one and is interested in this. Please read the first one as it is crucial to the development of my series and will answer your confusion if you decide to read. *sigh* yes that obviously contains incest as well. This is a story of Booker and Elizabeth and their romantic relationship. Built from the original universe. Not and AU or a one shot. It is direct continuation.

Rated T for now. lol

Thanks to my readers: SCB, The Writer With A Mouth, and others whom helped me in this endeavor. Your ideas and thoughts greatly helped me and influenced me.

As always, enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Ideas**

It was evening, Friday evening; just before the glorious Parisian sunset. Summer was here to stay apparently. The warm tones and colors consumed all of Paris and its denizens. It wasn't such a horrible phase, quite the contrary actually. People appeared livelier, brighter, and of course more romantic. Music could be heard behind every corner of the streets and love permeated the air like a thick fog. Couples relished in the uncommon presence of a long summer; more smooches, more romantic dinners outdoors, and more fun was certainly received blissfully by everyone, even for someone like Booker Dewitt. Happiness and cheerfulness seemed to be welcomed by every living being in Paris. It was an extended breath of fresh air. However, this wasn't quite so for the hero of Elizabeth. All seemed perfect; almost all except for the draining and pestering reminder of the sour anticipation of his impending doom. It wasn't death, horror, or even anything terrible, but it sure felt like it. Hour by hour, day by day; his heart relentlessly brooded. Restlessness became his close friend as the weeks crept closer and closer to D-day. It was what he named it: the day when all hell would figuratively breaks loose. "God damn it…" he grumbled as he leaned his forehead on the window. The view of children happily trotting about below sure as hell didn't help.

_Hmm children… Elizabeth. Elizabeth's baby. My child's child? ... I'm having a baby with my own baby. Jesus Christ this is all fucked up. I gotta do something, fast. But what and how?_

Elizabeth's baby was coming, and there's not a damn thing he could do about it. Not like he really had a choice anyway. The nightmares of him holding Elizabeth's baby visited him every night like bad unwanted movie sequels. It caused him slight confusion. Sometimes he would find himself breaking out of a night's rest in a cold sweat. '_What would I even call myself?'_ were the thoughts he would ponder during those unpleasant nights. What should he call himself? He couldn't determine whether he'd should be called dad, or grandfather, or even double dad. The thoughts always led to cursing and then a trip to the bathroom followed by a midnight cigarette.

Everything seemed to remind him of Elizabeth's baby. The clouds looked like fluffy pillows for the child. The Siene River resembled milk and of course, milk reminded him of breast feeding. Children reminded him of children, and even random birds brought visions of a very strange family that he has created. He was beginning to go stir-crazy. The incessant reminder of the unbearable future began to knock him a little silly. Despite the date of Elizabeth giving birth was still a ways to go, the burning images constantly wrestled with his heart and tugged at his mind. He had to do something, but what? He couldn't bare seeing his daughter be sad, let alone heart broken. No, even a hint of disappointment in her face would make him cringe. He wouldn't forgive himself if he hurt her again. Jumping through the tear back to their own dimension was his promise to her that he would never hurt her again. Those tears that flowed from her eyes were like sharp needles that pierced his heart. A month and a half has passed since he joined her in their world. That was the last time he saw her cry and he planned to keep it that way. The memory of Elizabeth desperately sobbing added weight to his eyelids. He shut them in shame and regret. Leaving her was out of the question. It would have defeated the purpose of his arrival, rendering everything meaningless and would bring forth nothing but death. He opened his eyes in search of ideas and inspiration from anything in his view. Booker needed a plan, an idea that would keep Elizabeth happy but render their relationship platonic. He scanned his environment meticulously. Unfortunately there was nothing he could find that would inspire him to change his circumstance. With a heavy sigh and frown he stared at the Eiffel Tower, contemplating his situation. He still loved her deeply, more than a daughter. Yet he also disliked it. He wanted to travel on the path of righteousness and stick to morality as much as he could, but it was extremely difficult. A sacrifice would have to be made from either parties. It was Booker who laid down the first sacrifice. He forsook his morality and accompanied her to Paris. The first week was quite agreeable but the following weeks proved problematic. The lingering conviction of right and wrong eventually became clear as day. He never had the time to think his decision through but what did he really expect from himself. The Luteces stated that it was and is a constant that will not change. The child will be born. He followed his heart. He loved her and wanted her to be happy. It wasn't a choice he regrets neither is it a choice he is ashamed of. As time passed, he attempted to slowly resist her. He quickly learned that, that was not possible. She was so irresistible and alluring. Her waist remained tiny and her gut was still flat as ever despite her pregnancy. She was incredibly enticing and desirable. Booker failed often and miserably. There is a deep bond between them that seemed inseparable. He was at war with himself. His circumstances have proved impossible to alter. But Booker was too stubborn to quit. He wanted an answer, a way to resolve this issue. Should he accept it and be her lover? Should he just face the music and dance with the inevitable rhythm? It didn't sit right with him, it never did once he learned the truth. He couldn't pretend that she wasn't his. She showed traits that mirrored him. Booker noticed the details after realizing her true identity. Elizabeth was also stubborn just like him.

Like father like daughter…

She was not going to give him up easily, not without a fight.

_I feel like I'm splitting in two… I can't leave but I can't seem to get grip. Her baby, my grandchild. What do I do? It doesn't look like I have much of a choice so I guess I have to bite the bullet. Tough luck I suppose._

Booker observed the children playing down on the streets. It brought to him a slight smile. The streets, lamps, buildings and everything was orange. He had taken notice that the skies slightly shifted colors. The sun had just touched the horizon. _Beautiful_ he thought as he squinted at the gorgeous sun. It was a good end of the week and a great start to the weekend. _Maybe it won't be so bad. It'll take time but I'll just have to accept it. _

A familiar looking woman caught his attention from the corner of his eye and he looked down to see who it was. It was a lovely woman drawing near to the house. She hugged a paper grocery bag that protruded a baguette. She wore a beautiful summer dress that danced gracefully as the wind brushed by her. Her hair had grown its original length and flew freely in the wind as she walked. She was not only gorgeous, but beautiful. Love radiated from her as if she was goddess. _Elizabeth… and just in time for dinner._ All of the smiles of Paris couldn't compare to her warm delightful smile. She was happy, truly happy; something she has never had before. Her bird pendant and his ascot never failed to follow her; she wore it every day. She was hopelessly in love with Booker. The branding of "B.D" on the inside of her right wrist proved it all. She paused to gander at the sunset which made the Eiffel Tower like a dazzling symbol of hope from her view. Booker admired her as she tucked her flowing strands of hair behind her ear. _Picture perfect. You are so beautiful Elizabeth…_ He shook his head questioned why did she have to be two things that he loved. He loved her being his daughter and he loved her being his lover, but didn't love the fact that they were one in the same. He couldn't bring himself to reconciliation with the truth. Elizabeth clearly accomplished that task as effortlessly as blinking. He pondered, _how could she have done it so easily_? It baffled his mind. As she was approaching the house, she smiled at everyone. She was so friendly. He could see her waving and greeting anybody that passed by. It was a part of her that he appreciated, something that he did not have: cheerful friendliness.

_I suppose I am proud to be her father. She is a good woman… _He thought but then an idea came to his mind like a pleasant delivery. _W-Wait! I got an idea! If I can get her to have an ounce of disgust in our relationship, I can work that to pound. I just need to act more like a father. Yeah, I have you now Elizabeth._

Booker smirked mischievously as he walked downstairs to the kitchen table and sat down proceeding to read the newspaper. With a plan in mind he confidently smiled as he pretended to read the morning papers. Mere seconds pass before the sound of the door handle turning was heard from where he was. In stepped the beautiful lady returning from her errand. Her melodic humming filled the quiet house. She didn't see him on the couch taking his routine nap from work. "Booker" she called for him with her womanly voice, but with no reply she placed her grocery bad down and called again, "Booker?" He heard her voice beckoning for him and wanted to reply but ignored it all together. This reminded him of his bathroom visit in the Battleship Bay arcade and every other bathroom visit. She would call for him when she perceived he took too long. She wasn't an impatient gal but did not like to be without him for long. So, 'long' for her hovered around 15 seconds. He remembered it clear as day. Her pattern played in his head.

"_Are you okay in there?"_

"_Yeah, I'm fine."_

"_Mr. Dewitt?"_

"_Just a minute."_

"_Booker?"_

"_Hold on!"_

Elizabeth's voice tuned to the tone of curiosity as she couldn't hear a reply from her lover. Her inquisitive feet carried her toward the kitchen as she looked for him. "Honey?"

_Alright now I just have to play it smooth._

As she walked into the kitchen her face lit up as she saw Booker reading the papers. She noticed it was very late to read the morning papers but shrugged it off. She briskly made her way closer to him with happiness in her voice. "Booker I thought you weren't home." Booker stood up with a stiff posture and spoke with a stern voice, catching her off guard.

"I want you home earlier from now on young lady."

"I... B-But" Elizabeth was startled that Booker would talk to her this way. It caused her to stammer in confusion.

"No excuses, and call me father from now on."

"Oh… A-All right. I just… I'm sorry, I'm usually home by this time but if you want me home earlier, I'll do that. I didn't mean to upset you."

Booker stood with his hand on his hips as he watched Elizabeth speak through her confusion. She wondered what she did to have upset him but she didn't know that he was pretending all along. She walked slowly to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Booker froze and didn't know what to do or say at this point. _This is where I'm supposed to scold her but she's too..._ He thought frantically as his mind scrounged for ideas. Booker's defense completely fell apart when she touched him. She leaned closer to his lips and hovered inches away. He was supposed to be a big daddy with authority but that was beginning to fail. Booker wanted to stop her but couldn't resist her snake like charm. His father idea didn't seem like a good idea anymore. With soft eyes and a warm smile, she apologized, "I'm sorry father. I'll be home earlier…" and seductively kissed his lips. His eyes widened when their lips met. It wasn't something he expected or planned for. She parted lips with him for a second to gaze into his eyes and kissed him again. Booker couldn't help but follow her lead and be entranced. His plan fell apart and he was nothing but speechless. She finished with a kiss on his check and an affectionate touch to his neck then walked to retrieve her grocery bag. "I'll make dinner right away."

_This was the dumbest idea I've ever had. Now that didn't go at all as planned... She isn't even mildly disgusted with calling me father or even thinking of me in that way. Shit. What now? That was a little strange to hear her call me that then kiss me. _

"Elizabeth," Booker called as he walked over to the couch to lay down.

"Yes, father?" Elizabeth gleefully responded

"On second thought… Just call me Booker. And forget what I said about your curfew."

"Uh, okay," she replied yet with more confusion in her voice.

_I don't know how this girl can see me like a father and lover without any difficulty. Liz… you make no sense._

Booker fell to the couch with great exhaustion. A groan escaped from the back of his throat as he remembered how much comfort he absorbed as he sank into the cushions. He scrunched his brows together and agreed to himself that, that was one of his worst plans he's ever created. It made things more strange. He rested his wrist on his forehead and chuckled quietly as he realized how badly his idea backfired. He found it to be humorous as his quiet chuckles grew into laughter. Booker was tired. He should have taken a well-deserved nap instead of pacing around thinking aimlessly. He took a deep breath and exhaled. He wanted to exhale the festering thoughts that plagued his mind day and night. Nothing but air escaped and his feelings remained the same. He closed his eyes for what seemed a second until he felt a familiar loving presence by his side. Elizabeth sat beside him and rested her hand on his chest. He opened his eyes to see the caring face he loved so much. She was so beautiful to him with her hair down and untied. Booker smiled in return to see Elizabeth offering him a dinner and a drink. _I must have slept for almost an hour. _He slowly sat up to receive her kindness. Suddenly he felt woozy and a headache became apparent. Something about him didn't feel right but he ignored the sensation as he reached for the cup. "Here drink, you'll feel better," Elizabeth said as she reached for his forehead. As he brought it closer he realized it was dark in color. "This isn't booze. What is this?" Booker curiously asked.

"It's medicine. Booker you haven't been feeling well. You've been talking in your sleep lately, even waking up during the night. And your fever hasn't gotten better."

Slightly surprised Booker made eye contact and asked, "How did you know that?"

"Did you forget that I'm a light sleeper? Last night I waited until you feel asleep again. Then I felt your body. You were burning. And just a second ago you've acted a little strange toward me. I'm a little worried about you."

Booker hadn't really noticed his fever. All of the pain from bullets, bruises, and shrapnel numbed his senses. He grew accustomed to discomfort and a fever felt normal to him. He's felt a much hotter sensation from being scorched by Devil's Kiss. A fever was like ice in comparison. That would explain his cold sweats at night. He pointed his nose to the cup and sniffed the medicine. Immediately, he cringed. The powerful odor singed his nostrils. He could feel his nose hairs charring from the vapors. It had to be one of the strongest and awful smelling medicine he's ever smelled.

"Ugh. No thanks," he said as he coldly rejected the medicine. He nudged the cup back to Elizabeth but she knew he was going to deny it. She looked at him skeptically and pouted her lips.

"No Booker, you need to drink it. I'm not going to have you sick and dying on me," Elizabeth said with a slightly firm voice.

Booker raised a brow as he remembered how much she's changed since he's met her. He had almost forgotten that she had killed in cold blood and is still capable of doing so if the situation called for it. _She is just like me it's almost scary._ He pressed his palm on his forehead and noticed that it was slightly warmer. "Hm" He grunted and proceeded to drink but hesitated as the intrusive smell invaded his nose again. He quickly tipped the cup to allow the 'medicine' to flow down his throat. He might as well called it poison because nothing came close to how strong it tasted. The feeling was similar to drinking a vigor but not as potent. He almost gagged from the taste of bitterness, mixed with all sorts of herbs he has never tasted before. With one swig he finished his dose and clenched his teeth together from its disgusting flavor. She smiled and handed him his dinner. That was a relief to his eyes. It looked and even smelled better. He needed something to substitute the horrid aftertaste it left behind.

He immediately agreed to eat his dinner. It was Soupe à L'oignon, one of their favorites and was easy to go eat, especially on sick days. He was delighted to see it. _God she's an amazing cook. _He thought as he sipped the soup. She's definitely what every guy would want_._ "Elizabeth, you are an amazing cook." She smiled and happily received his compliment and affirmation. She started to enjoy her portion with him then suddenly the atmosphere became a bit romantic. Elizabeth scooped some of her soup and brought her spoon to his mouth. Booker was far from the definition of romanticism and thought it her gesture was too corny and cliché. He looked at her and raised a brow. She knew what that meant and disappointedly look away and withdrew her spoon. He knew what she was feeling; rejection and disappointment. But he loved her, he truly did. So he circumvented his unromantic predisposition and spoke, "Of course, I would love some Liz." Her face brightened as she slipped the spoon in his mouth. He almost rolled his eyes as the moment between them became very mushy. He smiled and continued eating his portion.

After they had finished, Elizabeth took their bowls to the kitchen to tidy up. Booker laid back down and rested his eyes. Being a private detective was hard work, very hard work. Some days he wished he'd chosen another career. His thoughts wandered to strange lands as he laid there motionless. He thought about Elizabeth's mother who died during delivery. He loved her but never loved her like he loved Elizabeth. The concoction of disgusting medicine and the delicious food began to mess with his thoughts. He started to compare the two ladies. He compared their looks, their personality, their tastes, and everything else in between. She paled in comparison to Elizabeth. He scoffed and almost chuckled as he realized she became her better replacement. No woman ever came close to Elizabeth. For once, he felt at ease and agreed that he truly had treasure in his hands, a gem that no one else had and wanted.

By the time Booker's thoughts ascended into neverland, Elizabeth had grabbed a new book that she bought earlier and sat at the other couch to read. The book drew her interest. It was called Summer by Edith Wharton. She opened the pages and delved into her book as Booker began to fade into sleep.

Elizabeth read several pages but couldn't focus on her new book. Anxiousness and anticipation occupied her mind and heart. She couldn't believe that she was going to have a child. Everything else was dim in comparison to the light of her life: her baby, and the love of her life: Booker. She was happy and complete. Every day that she lived was like heaven and every breath she took was in gratitude for the new life she lived. She quietly set her book aside and rested her hand on her belly and smiled. There was no happier person in Paris or the world. It made her years of suffering worth it. She reminisced on the adventures they endured together in Columbia. The pleasant memories of the past blanketed her with peace. The painful recollections of her torture, suffering, and depression couldn't penetrate her aura. If she had a halo, every person would marvel at her angelic joyful radiance.

She fell in love, hopelessly deep in love. She was never presented options to choose who she wanted. The universe and its mysteries perplexed her. Like Booker, she wondered if it was all chance or was meant to be. She loved him though and regrets nothing but instead, wished that Booker would completely accept their fate just like she did. Elizabeth openly embraced the truth and gladly accepted it. She glanced over to her lover and appreciated his fair stature. The image of Booker sleeping soundly brought fond feelings of hopeful love and adoration. She was completely devoted; nothing could tear her apart from him. She remembered the first time he hurt her. She came back to him without hesitation. If unconditional love existed, she had it. Elizabeth possessed an unfathomable dedication to her lover. It was a connection not found anywhere, not even between classical lovers. The night when she gave him the gift of her virginity visited her mind. She closed her eyes and replayed the promises and love they shared on that mystical night. He was her first and her last. Magical love stories couldn't be proven more real in Elizabeth. Even the stars and northern lights were jealous of the shining brilliance that sparkled unremittingly from her heart. Nothing was lovelier or brighter.

_Booker, I love you… So much, more than you know. One day you'll come to fully accept me. And when you do, I'll be right here waiting for you._

Without a second thought, she moved herself over to Booker and laid down beside him. She made a good choice when she bought that large couch. They both fit on there with just enough room to spare. Elizabeth rested her head on his large arm and dug into his embrace as he rolled to hold her. A sensual moan escaped her lips as she closed her eyes from the comfort.

Hours passed and they slept far into the night. It was about 2 in the morning when Booker woke up from his sleep. That was the first night since forever he had slept well. His eyes slowly opened to find the room dark and quiet. He found that she had laid next to him. Her love never ceased to amaze him as he figured she would prefer a more comfortable bed upstairs but instead chose to be by his side. Booker stroked her soft long hair as he began to appreciate her love a little bit more. It troubled him. She needed someone to fully love her without discrimination or hesitation. He paused and observed the light from the street lamps that painted the ceiling. There was enough light for him to see the clock tell time. He was tired enough to fall back asleep but decided to go for a mid-night walk. He quietly and gently extracted his arm from under her head and snuck out of her warmth. The decision had to be made. He had to accept this truth but needed to be alone to meld this reality to his heart. He slipped on some shoes and a trench coat and made sure Elizabeth was asleep before walking through the front door.

Paris, still as pretty as ever. Streetlamps everywhere. The city was a sight to behold. It was a silent beauty. He started his stride of solitude alongside the Siene River. The Eiffel Tower caught his attention, reminding him of the beacon of hope Elizabeth had. It symbolized him. "Hm" he grunted as he kept walking. The streets were seemingly empty save for a few stragglers here and there. He leisurely paced near the stone railings as he walked from block to block. He had half expected the Luteces to appear any minute during his walk but no one bothered him. He never was fond of them but didn't mind their witty remarks or their brain power. He could use their scientific answers right then. It was too bad that they were gone for good. Booker paused to stare at the magnificent tower of lights and contemplated. He couldn't completely absolve himself of the nagging thought of morality. _Why can't I just accept things the way they are? I've done plenty of wrong in my life so this shouldn't be so hard. What is holding me back?_ Just before he got lost in his thoughts somebody called for his attention.

"Psst, hey you. Mister. I got something for you that you might find interesting."

Booker turned around to match the voice to the face. It was someone he didn't know, _just a plain ol' shop keeper. What does this guy want?_ He thought as he read the sign above the shop: 'Lonnie's confectionaries and souvenirs.'

"Hey pal, not interested."

"Oh but you will," the shop keeper said as he walked inside. Booker reluctantly followed him inside but only to politely decline his offer. He wanted to practice mannerism and kindness; something Elizabeth really liked the first time she saw him express it in public. As soon as he stepped in, the shop keeper spoke before he had a chance to utter a single word.

"I see that you are a troubled man that is in need of a solution. I think this formula will do you quite nicely."

"Look I already told you, I'm not interested."

"Then why did you follow me here?" he asked with a sly tone.

"To politely..."

"Politely accept my gift perhaps?"

Booker began to get bit annoyed by his persistency, but just for the sake of curiosity, he approached the counter to a peculiar bottle. It was small in form and wasn't very interesting to look at. There was no label for him to read from, just a plain small glass bottle with a cork.

"You must be a man looking for growth. Hair growth? This formula will work most definitely"

Booker replied with an almost sarcastic tone, "Does it look like I need any help growing hair?"

"Oh but of course not that. This is meant to create distance between you and anyone else you desire. Apply it once and voila. Nobody likes a hairy bear."

"You've got to be kidding me…"

"Take the sample. Try it and you will see my friend."

"Right. I'm not your friend and this was a complete waste of my time," he uttered as he proceeded toward the exit. The shop keeper called for his attention and tossed him the sample. Booker caught the bottle and rolled his eyes as the shop keeper winked at him and walked to back room. Booker stepped out and studied the bottle once more. The chemical was odorless and colorless. He wouldn't be surprised if it was just water. It didn't matter to him as it was free anyway. Booker pocketed the potion, lit a cigarette, and headed back home. He felt tired and wanted to sleep. _What kind of place is open in the middle of the night? _He wondered as he approached his front door. He expected Elizabeth to greet him with a grimace but she was still sound asleep when he slowly opened the door. _Just like a baby,_ he thought as he made his way to the bathroom. He stared at his reflection and rubbed his chin. Mischievous thoughts entered his mind and a smirk appeared. _It was free, might as well try it._ He applied a generous amount to his stubble and tossed the bottle out the window. _This will definitely get Elizabeth to dislike me. If disgust doesn't work, then a hairy old man should. She'll find me unattractive in no time. _Booker chuckled as he got undressed. He snuck his way to the couch and wiggled his way back into her arms. He laid there with renewed confidence and smiled at the ceiling. "Where were you?" Elizabeth quietly whispered. Her eyes were still closed as she laid on his chest. "Cigarette break" Booker hesitantly replied. "You took a while," she whispered once more before falling back asleep. _Damn, she doesn't miss a thing. _Booker fell fast into sleep.

Morning came and light crept into his eyes, waking him up. Elizabeth however was unaffected by the sunrise. He opened his eyes and saw that it was quite early in the morning. Yesterday night's event popped in his mind and instantly he remembered the potion he applied. _I wonder if it worked, _he thought as he reached to rub his chin with his free arm. Interestingly enough, his beard had grown out, all the way out. To Booker's surprise, he had realized he was sporting a gentleman beard. It was actually much longer and was more like a homeless man beard. _There you are you son of a bitch. I'll be damned. It actually worked. _With a smile, he closed his eyes again and couldn't wait for Elizabeth's reaction. He decided to relax for a bit more and enjoyed her company.

The hairy coarse bush that protruded from Booker's jaw tickled Elizabeth's forehead and she reached to scratch her head. It felt different and unfamiliar to her. She had thought it was her own hair irritating her but to her bewilderment she reached up further to feel what it was. Half asleep, she felt the grainy feeling of a beard. Suddenly her eyes jetted open as she realized it might have been someone else. _What? What is this? Booker? Oh my god, is it a theif?!_ She quickly looked up and to her horror she shrieked. The random and unexpected high pitch scream shook Booker, flinching him out of his relaxed state. She scrambled off of the couch and stumbled on the floor as she couldn't believe what she saw. Booker was still dazed to realize Elizabeth was no longer with him but panicking 6 feet away.

"Oh my god! N-No it can't be! Comstock?! I… I don't understand! Where's Booker?! How did you... No!"

Booker sat up and tried to calm the frightened woman. He tried to approach Elizabeth but she screamed and reached for anything she can get her hands on.

"Elizabeth wait! It's okay! It's me!"

"Get away from me!" She shouted as she tossed a book at him. He braced as she book hit his arm, deflecting his face. Another book flew toward him and hit his chest.

"Where's my Booker?! What did you do to him?!" she demand as she reached for her expensive vase with intention of chucking it at him.

"Elizabeth it's me, Booker!"

"You're a liar!" she shouted as she lifted her hands readying to toss the vase.

"Elizabeth don't throw that. That's your favorite vase!" Booker pleaded to the panicking woman. It was too late and the vase came at him in high speed. Instead of dodging it, he frantically tried to catch it. Luckily he caught it with his fingertips but fell trying to get a good grip.

"Elizabeth! Would you cut it out?! Knock it off!"

"You are Comstock! How did you get in my house? I need to find Booker!" She said as she tossed a basket of flowers at him which hit him directly in the forehead. She attempted to escape and bolted to the door.

"Elziabeth. I'm not Comstock! I mean, I am… but I'm not!" _Shit shouldn't have said that! _

Booker reached for her arm and grabbed it but Elizabeth punched him and swung her shin between his legs. Booker immediately recognized this pattern so he instantly tried to cushion the blow by blocking her leg with his hand. It didn't help much as her kick was powerful enough to knock a man unconscious. He fell to the floor as he felt like he'd been shot. She darted through the front door and screamed Booker's name.

"Elizabeth wait!" Booker tried to yell but only a squeak escaped his mouth as he laid there squirming from the pain. He looked up through the doorway and saw that Elizabeth started to run. Booker struggled to get up and run after her. It was similar to wrestling with an alligator hoping to win. Eventually he got himself up and limped to the doorway. With no time to get dressed he started to waddle quickly after Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth! You're not even dressed! Wait! Come back!"

"Stay away!"

People looked at Elizabeth as if she was crazy. She had done this before only over a month ago. Children and their mother's mouths gaped as they witnessed a young lady running in her night gown followed by a half-naked bearded man seconds later. Some men started to laugh while others grumbled at the indecency. Elizabeth ran to the main walkway where she was greeted by the Siene River. She frantically looked around for Booker and shouted his name drawing everyone's attention. She looked over her shoulder to realize Booker was drawing near. She noticed a policeman approach her and immediately without hesitation reached for his pistol. Caught by surprise the officer tried to calm the young lady down but she had aimed her gun at Booker whom was only meters away.

"Don't come near me or I'll shoot him."

A crowed gathered around as they saw that the situation had swiftly turned from comedic to serious. Booker limped his way to Elizabeth and froze in front of her. He raised his hands in surrender as he stared into the barrel of the gun.

"Not another step closer!" she ordered.

"Comstock! I killed you. How did you come back? Why do you exist?"

She hadn't realized the crowd around them or her indecency. Her stare was too intense and her anger was too fierce. She was breathing heavily and it was apparent to him the gravity of this situation. Booker tried to move his mouth to calm the overly angry woman but couldn't say a word.

"The only reason that you're alive is because I need to you to tell me where Booker is…"

Booker had never seen her this determined and powerful before. It swept him by surprise. He was speechless.

"Answer me! Where is Booker?! What did you do with him?"

"Woah, Elizabeth just take it easy I'm him. I'll prove it."

She squinted her eyes with skepticism. Booker was the mirror image of the prophet, except without a shirt. The crowd and policeman watched carefully for her next move. The officer tried once more to approach her but she warned him again that if he took another step, she'd fire.

"Elizabeth? I was with you in Columbia. We danced at battleship bay. We fought Comstock and the Vox together."

"That's not enough. How do I know you're not just another version of Comstock or someone that spied on Booker and me? Huh?"

"Elizabeth, think for a second. Look," Booker slowly spoke as he pointed to his scar from the knife and A.D."

Confused and angry, she questioned, "Then how did you grow that… revolting beard overnight? That's impossible!"

"Elizabeth, you of all people should be familiar with strange and impossible things; like tears, a floating city, and a sunken city."

When the crowed heard him speak nonsense about a floating city, they instantly considered the two drunk. It was just a drunk father with his angry daughter in their eyes.

"That doesn't explain your beard. Ugh! What's our code?"

"Elizabeth, there's nowhere I can…"

"What is it?!" she demanded.

Booker balled up his fist brought it to his heart. He looked at her dead in the eyes as he knocked twice, paused then knocked again. Elizabeth still couldn't believe it was really him but slowly lowered her gun and exhaled. She handed the gun over to the officer and stomped toward Booker. She shoved him and shouted, "Don't ever scare me like that again!" With her hand on her heart, she tried to calm her nerves.

The crowd slowly dispersed and the cop walked to them and proceeded with a question, "Sir? Who is this young woman? Do you want me to arrest her?"

Booker quickly responded, "No, it's okay. She's my…"

"Fiancé… I'm his fiancé," Elizabeth said as she interrupted his explanation.

The cop raised his brows and nodded in surprise followed by approval. "Not bad there chap. Found yourself a very young one I see, and a fierce one at that."

"Now for the sake of the people, please go back home and get dressed. I'll let this one slide." He said as he began to walk away.

Elizabeth gave Booker the look he hadn't seen in a very long time. Booker dismissed that overburdening thought and took her hand to lead her back home.

_That was an absolute disaster… My ideas keep getting worse and worse. I have to come up with another idea. Time for plan B. Okay first I gotta make things right. But I admit, it was sort of funny. _

Booker chuckled a little as they made their way back.

"This isn't funny," Elizabeth muttered.

"You're right it's not funny," Booker replied half agreeing with her. So he tried laughing in his head but it escaped through his mouth.

_What is wrong with him? Why is he acting so strange to me? First he tried to act fatherly, then decides not to, then he goes out in the middle of the night to fetch a beard? Is he still sick? Argh! I don't understand him sometimes._

"Booker! You almost gave me a heart attack. When we get home, you're shaving that right off."

"Of course, Liz. I'm sorry."

..

* * *

PM/Review if you guys like it. I'd love to hear your thoughts! I don't want to write a sequel where no one is interested in. :/


	2. Bad Ideas

Hello my faithful readers and new readers alike. Sorry for the long delay in updating. I have been working on chapter 2 and 3 simultaneously. So 3 should be up with much quicker speed than two. I'm glad you enjoyed my first chapter. Now here is chapter 2 for your enjoyment. I myself love long chapters and I'm sure you guys do too.

Enjoy

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Bad ideas**

The odd couple managed to make it back to their home in one piece. Still half naked and hairy, Booker decided to head over to the couch. Elizabeth was still slightly confused from the whole fiasco. She couldn't understand how he had grown it so quickly. With every glace at Booker, she would immediately see Comstock instead of her beloved. She couldn't bear to look at him due to memories of Comstock's horrible actions. Not just his horrible actions but every part of him she loathed. With a noticeable frown on her face, she paced over to the mess that she had created to tidy things. Booker had noticed the mess before her and had already gotten up from the couch to attend to the scattered possessions. She took a deep breath and bent over to pick up her favorite vase. She was glad that Booker caught it. She wanted to thank him for saving her prized vase and turned to him to speak. "Booker, I..." As soon as she laid eyes on him, she saw Comstock again and her feelings of toward the dead prophet became apparent. Her face was filled with disgust when the beard invaded her vision. She let out a frustrated groan and with a grimace she spoke, "Okay, you have got to get rid of that beard this instant." Booker picked up the books and placed them neatly into the bookcase and responded in agreement. He turned to Elizabeth to comfort her and to apologize for his shenanigans. Elizabeth observed her vase to inspect for any damage. It was her favorite not because it was expensive. It was actually inexpensive. It was her favorite because it came with a set of beautiful flowers; Booker's first gift of flowers to her. It had deep sentimental value and she was glad it did not break. She was so fueled with adrenaline that she hadn't realized her actions at the time. The warm touch of Booker's hand on her back comforted her. With a slight smile, she looked over to him but instantly lost any and all types of affection at that moment and groaned again with frustration. She swiftly spun and walked toward the kitchen, almost stomping her way there. "Argh! I can't even look at you. Your beard. Make it go away." Booker chuckled at her comment and made his way to the dining room mirror. It was large enough to reflect his entire body. Elizabeth had exquisite taste and it was quite expensive.

"Elizabeth. C'mon it's not that bad," he said as he approached the mirror.

"Booker!"

"Yeah darling?"

"I'm frustrated!"

"No, you're pregnant," he wittily replied

"Argh!"

With a quick look, he was startled to see the man in the mirror. "Woah! Jeeze I look exactly like the guy." He leaned in closer to observe his beard. _I can't believe that damn thing actually worked. I don't even recognize me anymore. I'm the spitting image of Comstock! Well, his beard was grey but still. I suppose I am the ol' coot, just younger. _Booker decided to have a little fun with his new disguise. _Well, I can get a kick out this. I think this plan is working perfectly. _With a smirk, he stiffened his body, cleared his throat, and started to pet his bushy beard. He began to mimic the prophet in posture and stance. Mockingly, he spoke out loudly, "The seed of the prophet! Shall sit the throne! And…"

"Booker! Don't even think about finishing that sentence!" Elizabeth's rebuttal could be heard from the kitchen. Booker laughed and decided to play along just a bit more. He was enjoying provoking the angry Elizabeth. He announced again with the same tone as Comstock, "Oh but my sweet child, that is where you're wrong." Booker smiled at his reflection. He couldn't believe the fun he was having while looking like his past enemy. He could hear Elizabeth storming out of the kitchen to go upstairs. He chuckled at her response. _She's probably trying to get away from me. _He spoke even louder this time around for he knew she was on her way upstairs. He wanted to make sure she heard Comstock's voice from up there. "The prophecy has been foretold! That you Elizabeth, shall be my heir. That you shall take over this house and lead all of Paris into prosperity!" _Well, I think I'll just keep this up. She'll be where I want her soon enough. _"The Lord shaves! But I'm just a prophet… So I don't have to. Amen!" Just as he finished his speech he heard Elizabeth's oddly sweetened voice from behind him. He was too occupied with being silly that he hadn't realized her presence or heard her approach him.

"Mon chéri amour…" Elizabeth called with a sly tone. Booker laughed as he turned around to Elizabeth only to be greeted with her blowing him a bewitched kiss. It wasn't unusual for her to be seductive but quite unusual during this time of day. What was even more strange was how he instantly started to feel and think differently. He had noticed a green cloud that exuded for her hand when she blew him a kiss but seemed to stop caring seconds after. _Woah, everything's green… _he thought as she stared at her. His vision started slowly fuzz and haze with a green cloud. His peripherals were murky with green. Booker started to smile and talk politely to her. _This is… strange…_

"Yes my sweet?" He asked in a very polite tone.

"Darling, would you please go and shave off your beard?" Elizabeth asked sensually.

"Of course. Anything for you sweetie," he said as he happily made his way upstairs. _What the hell am I doing? Why am I doing what I don't want to do?_

Booker entered into his bedroom's bathroom and cheerfully reached for the razor to begin shaving his beard. _I can't move my body. Damn it, I reached for the wrong razor. That's the one I use for…_ Scrape after scrape, his dark colored beard tumbled off his jaw. He unwillingly finished shaving and started to groom himself along with trimming his hair with scissors. His hair was long; it was past his ear. He had truly looked homeless. It was definitely true love since Elizabeth still kissed that mountain man face. _I don't understand how I'm doing this. This doesn't make sense. Why is my body glowing green?_ With some snips and cuts, his hair started to look very proper and sexy, almost futuristic similar to someone by the name of Macklemore.

After several minutes had passed Booker's prophet appearance transformed into a dashing young gentleman. Freshly shaved and trimmed, he looked very attractive and much younger. He parted his short dark hair and smiled. _I don't look half bad. I never knew I could cut my own hair. It must be whatever Elizabeth did to me. _It had been a very long time since he had put forth effort to his appearance. Somehow any strand of grey hair he remembered seeing had returned to its original color. With no wrinkles visible either, he looked 10 years younger. _Luteces mentioned something about tears messing with the body. Comstock somehow aged but I suppose jumping through that last tear knocked me back 10 years. Good for me. 38 looking 28. I can live with that. Either that or I'm going crazy._ Neither had Elizabeth noticed the effect the tear had on Booker, even after a month has passed. His crusty lack of care for his looks masked his 28 year old charming face. Booker's green glow slowly dissipated as he regained control of his body again. _Hm, I'm me again. What the hell was that all about?_ He shook off the thought and washed his face while Elizabeth was downstairs preparing Le Petit Déjeuner.

She couldn't overcome laying eyes on someone that looked exactly like Comstock again. She had forgotten that Booker was Comstock, just younger. The first events of the weekend were too much for her preference. She'd had hope it'd be more peaceful and quieter. Unpleasant images of Columbia's Comstock returned to her mind, causing her to lose focus. She laid down the knife that she was cutting fruit with and shut her eyes. She never surpassed the pain and misery he caused her, never fully healed from it. Having the love of her life around sure did help but she needed more time before she can look at him with a beard. _Comstock… I'm glad he's gone for good. I just… I just can't believe Booker will eventually look like him. He's 38 and will soon turn 39. _She dreaded that truth and feared the day when Booker will finally reach his counterpart's appearance. Elizabeth managed her emotions and returned to preparing food. With a sigh and a saddened frown, she started washing her hands. Afterward, she placed the plates and food on the fancy dining room table. It was beautifully decorated with flowers and doilies. She had made sure that everything was in place, readying them for a small meal.

Booker's footsteps could be heard as he approached the kitchen. "Hey there," she said as she turned to look at Booker. The second her eyes caught Booker's incredibly attractive appearance, she gasped and widened her eyes. It startled her as she couldn't believe how handsome he looked. She stood in silence with her mouth opened but no words exited. "Hi Liz," he said as he smiled, approaching her. Elizabeth's eyes studied his sharp appearance as he drew near. _He looks… so young and incredibly handsome. How did he…_ The memory of when they first met replayed in her mind. The emotions she felt when she first saw him flushed through her body as she began to inhale deeply. "You okay?" he asked. "Y-Yes, I'm okay," she answered nervously. Booker lovingly placed his hand on her chin and asked, "So does this look better?" The light beaming from the window highlighted his wild green eyes. She couldn't shift her gaze from his emerald magnificence no matter how matter how much she tried. She managed a weak smile as she nodded in his presence. He had effortlessly swept her off her feet. Booker was so breathtaking that her heart started to race, pumping her body full of blood. He leaned in and kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes and exhaled. It felt good to her, good and pleasurable. She felt love and care overshadow her. It was a welcoming feeling and was received well. He gave her a warm smile and walked to the table. Elizabeth laid her hand on her heart as she stood there staring at her lover. She excused herself and headed upstairs to change.

_He is so alluring... my god…_ She thought as she slipped off her night gown. _Jumping back and forth from tears must have altered his body. He looks so much younger. I suppose I never noticed it until today. So many odd events occurred this weekend. I don't know what to make of it all. I hope this is the last of it. I'm glad I kept that Possession vigor. I knew it would be handy in a pinch. _As she pulled her panties off, she realized she was slightly damp. Elizabeth paused and reached her hand down to feel just how much. _I-I didn't even know I was… Well I suppose it's been a while since he's made love to me. It's a little odd now that I think of it. My body wants him. I'm attracted to my father but I don't mind at all. I actually really like it. Hmm, I wonder…_ Out of curiosity, she slowly led her finger to down past her belly. The moment she felt her finger glide along her clitoris, a moaned quietly seeped from her mouth. Her body curved from the quick but intense feeling. _Oh my… Maybe I should… _Her lips opened to withdraw air and with strong desire, she nibbled her bottom lip as she started to fantasize about Booker. She closed her eyes and decided food could wait a little longer. Her finger started to slowly circulate her clit, increasing her delight. She was beginning to get carried away with her self-pleasuring actions and had forgotten Booker has been waiting for her downstairs. Elizabeth was completely wet now. She had always been the type of woman to moisten at any hint of Booker's love. She felt a small pulsating rhythm from below as she realized she was beginning to throb. Another moan escaped her lips as she swayed her finger. Right then and there, she wanted him. She wanted him to make passionate love to her. The craving of his powerful love grew with each heartbeat.

"Elizabeth?" Booker faintly called from downstairs. He had been waiting to eat and never ate without her.

His voice abruptly reminded her that he was waiting for her. _I'm being a little naughty, _she thought as she deviously smiled. "I'm coming," she shouted back. She looked at the bottle of Possession and wondered if she should use it again but this time for sex. With a tiny bit of pondering she tossed her thought out and decided not to. She wanted him to love her himself. Elizabeth wanted it to be real, not fake. Henceforth, she continued getting dressed and headed downstairs and saved her needs for a later time.

Booker glanced over at his well dressed lady and smiled in delight. She always managed to stay beautiful now matter what. A proper gal with proper mannerism and upkeep, something he also appreciated in her. Elizabeth's emotions however were quite more exotic than Booker's at the moment. She was still hot and wanted eroticism rather than fruits and a croissant. Her body still carried desire for his love but she disregarded her fantasies and wants and proceeded to the table. As they enjoyed their food, Elizabeth could not help but sexualize Booker in her mind as she watched him eat. Her mind flooded with lustful thoughts. She remembered how much of a sexual deviant she was. Seeing Booker's tongue brought fantasized visions of her lying on the bed while he swirled his tongue, exciting her in ways long forgotten. The hot flashes of images caused a half choke as she drank her tea. She quietly coughed as she tried not to spill her drink. "You alright there?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied as she feministically coughed. He is at times dull but not when it came to his daughter. He picked up on her thoughts quickly. He knew of her gaze but kept his comments buried.

"Liz, I know what you're thinking."

Caught by surprise, she played innocence, "I'm sorry, the tea was too hot for me." Their tea was lukewarm; a blatant and obvious lie. Booker raised a brow and looked a different direction slightly shaking his head from her fibbing. She was never a good liar and her silliness made Booker chuckle. It was adorable to him how much of a terrible liar she was.

She offered to go out on a peaceful tour around Paris. Remaining in the house was too much for her. Elizabeth would eventually molest Booker if they stayed there any longer. Possession slowly became a good idea to her despite her disregard for it minutes ago. Her sex kettle was steaming and she needed out immediately before she pounced him. He agreed, knowing too what would happen if they stayed. He finished his croissant and stood up to find his trench coat. There wasn't much to eat so he finished quickly. She followed suit soon after she finished.

Paris magnificently promoted beauty regardless of time and place. Noontime was particularly bright and livelier than the rest of the remaining hours. The sun casted no shadows since it was directly overhead. As they walked hand in hand enjoying the view of Paris, children ran about laughing and giggling. Fond thoughts of having a family together with Booker peacefully brought a warm smile to Elizabeth. She was ready to settle down and start new beginnings. The joyous and cheerfulness of children reminded her of their child. With one hand in Booker's and the other hand on her belly, she glanced at the love of her life and gleamed. She couldn't be any happier. They made their way over a bridge and alongside the Siene River. Their attention turned to Taillevent: an upscale restaurant for lunch and dinner. It was a perfect spot for a couple. It so happened that day Taillevent was hosting an all-day ball. They'd passed by just in time. Elizabeth happily leaned on Booker's arm as they walked. "Booker look. I think I see dancing." There were plenty of people inside as the windows revealed. As they passed the patio/entrance, there sat one of Booker's colleagues; a nice young gentleman around the age of Elizabeth whom was also a private detective and an artist. He worked with Booker on one or more occasions. He hadn't noticed Booker or Elizabeth walking by. He was writing on his notepad. They planned on walking a longer distance but Booker instead made a sudden choice to greet him. A new plan was seeded the moment Booker saw him.

"Well I'll be. Charles Trénet," Booker smirked mischievously as he greeted him. The young gentleman looked up to see Booker with Elizabeth. Instantly he rose to his feet to shake hands. He was an enthusiastic gentleman that was glad to see Booker. He looked up to him for Booker was the best private detective in all of France.

"Booker DeWitt! We meet again. It's good seeing a familiar face around. What brings you to this side of the Siene River? And to a Taillevent no less?"

"Just on a walk. Charles I want you to meet someone," Booker proudly announced. "This here's Elizabeth."

"Hi there!" Elizabeth cheerfully greeted. "My name's Elizabeth. I'm his…"

Booker caught wind of the direction she was taking her introduction and quickly interrupted, "Daughter! Yeah, she's my daughter… yes…"

Elizabeth furrowed her brows and slowly turned her gaze toward him. Booker kept his focus forward and didn't bother to look at her. It had caught her off completely off guard since they had always introduced themselves as an engaged couple. Her expression mimicked that of hearing something outrageous. She squinted and hung her jaw in awkward disbelief.

The moment Charles laid eyes on Elizabeth, he was in awe. She was breathtaking to young lad. He couldn't believe how gorgeously stunning she was. Her dress flowed beautifully in the wind along with her long dark brown hair. Her crystal blue eyes lit a light in his heart. He was a sucker for blue eyes. Her petite frame matched his definition of a perfect woman. Elizabeth was indeed the most beautiful woman in all of Paris. Charles's face brightened when he heard "daughter" rather than fiancé or wife. This meant an opportunity to court the young woman and maybe one day betroth her. He wanted to meet her and was excited for this new opportunity. Being that it was Booker's daughter rather than a significant other as he presumed meant he could finally meet a lady through a trusted friend, and whom better yet than Booker's daughter.

"Excuse me, where are my manners. My name is Charles, Charles Trénet," he charmingly greeted. Elizabeth's eyes were still fixated on Booker. She had given him the death stare. If lasers shot from her eyes, Booker would have two seared holes in skull. Booker knew what she was thinking. The smirk he wore remained.

"Madam?" Charles said as he tried her attention. Elizabeth reluctantly turned her head to the gentlemen. Her mood shifted to a mixture of confusion and annoyance. She lifted her hand for a shake. Her eyes weren't very welcoming to Charles and her pursed lips also hinted an unsolicited greeting. Charles hadn't noticed her unwelcoming expression. Instead of a shake, he bent down and kissed her hand like a smooth criminal. Elizabeth almost winced from the action as her eyes squinted with skepticism. She might as well scolded him for Booker could hardly tell the difference from what she expressed and a glare.

"Tis a pleasure to meet you," he said as he smiled through his words.

"…Likewise," Elizabeth unfavorably replied.

Booker pulled out a lighter to light his cigarette, not paying any mind to Elizabeth. She started to pull her chair but the dashing young man quickly rushed over to pull her chair for her. He was quite smooth and charming; more than Booker was. With empty gratitude, she replied, "thank you." Booker shifted his stare from the fire that he cupped with his hand to Charles. He hopped his brows in acknowledgement of his nobleness. Elizabeth sat down and crossed her legs with slight attitude.

Booker and Charles finally sat down at the fancy decorated table. It was a good day. An odd day for the DeWitts but a good day nonetheless. Charles broke the silence and complimented his partner, "Booker, you look younger. I almost didn't recognize you. How did ya do it?"

"Science," he uttered as he nodded his head.

"Science? Well matters have surely progress far. I'm just a junior investigator and an artist, but of course only for spare time. Science however has never been my forte. I must have overlooked our advances in that field."

"Hm," he mumbled as he flicked his cigarette. It was the only reply Booker could utter; his signature grunt whenever he didn't feel like talking. He actually didn't want to have a chat with anyone and preferred to just hold his beloved. But he had a plan; a plan born out of mischievousness. Elizabeth was a little too troubled to hold any conversations, just like Booker. She wanted to ask Booker why he said what he said. She wanted to ask him about everything for that matter; why has he been acting strange and unusual. Obviously the scene did not fit the proper scenario. She decided to ask him everything later that night.

A waiter approached with questions of their order. Booker generously paid for Charles and ordered wine for Elizabeth, Charles, and himself. His choice of fancy wine was Constantino's Colheita 1904 imported from Portugul. It was his offer for Charles. It was a very nice gesture for the wine was extremely expensive. That moment made him feel proud since he was no longer in debt but a well-off man. Trénet sincerely thanked him for his great kindness and Booker nodded his head. "Think nothing of it," Booker said.

"So how are things on your end DeWitt? I hear you're getting requests left and right. You must be doing fantastic."

"Speak for yourself. I heard you're doing well Trénet."

"I've got my hands full here. Don't know how you seem manage with so many jobs lined up."

"Practice," Booker grunted.

"We're the only two American investigators here in Paris," chuckled Charles as he looked over to the Elizabeth.

"A little competition never hurt nobody," Booker added.

"So, miss Elizabeth. I did not know that you are Booker's daughter. I must say, you are quite beautiful. Someone of your stature and simply gorgeous appearance must be married to a lucky man. If I may ask, who is this fine gentleman?" He asked, advancing on Elizabeth.

"I'm not married," Elizabeth responded coldly. She had absolutely no interest in Charles. Many men approached her at during her six year stay in Paris. They all received the same due: cold rejection. To his surprise, he decided to lay his question on the table. "I don't mean to pry but… do you have a significant other?"

Both Booker and Elizabeth spoke out simultaneously.

"No", "Yes"

"No" came from Booker and "yes" from Elizabeth. They glanced at each other for a second while Booker turned away to chuckle and inhale his cigarette. Elizabeth stared at him, confused. The situation immediately became awkward.

"I… beg your pardon?" Charles asked through his confusion.

"No, she doesn't have one," Booker reiterated as he flicked his cigarette again. Elizabeth couldn't process what she had just heard. She didn't know whether to be sad or not but she was certainly confused. She wanted to correct him but remembered that he was also her father and respected what he said.

A beautiful love song echoed throughout and Charles had taken notice. "This is certainly a wondrous song. One of the best in our lifetime." Being forward and outgoing, he decided this would be a great opportunity to dance with Elizabeth. He was respectful and always hesitated impeding. With delight and enthusiasm he looked over to Booker to ask for permission. "Mr. DeWitt, if I may…" However Booker already knew what he was going to ask and nodded before the young gentleman finished his question. Elizabeth swung her eyes toward Booker, wondering why he would let anyone else dance with her. She never desired to dance with anyone other than her lover and hasn't ever. Booker was literally her first in everything. She wanted him to say no and wished that he would quickly retract his answer. Dancing with another man aside from Booker made her stomach turn. Charles stood to his feet and offered his hand to the beautiful young lady. "Miss, would you kindly share a dance with me?" He asked sincerely.

"It'd probably be best if we don't. It's a little odd to dance at this time of day," she rejected apathetically. Without looking at either one of them, Booker spoke with fatherly tone, "Elizabeth. You should dance with the young man. Doesn't hurt to give it a try." He exhaled and stared forward into the distance. _Why is he being so unusual to me? I don't understand what's going on, _Elizabeth thought. Confused she whispered his name but he didn't offer an answer, only a quick glance from the corner of his eye. She respected his wish and agreed to dance. Booker rarely ever assumed his fatherly role but she heeded his words when he did. This was the only other occasion. Elizabeth was a good daughter and listened. She hesitantly took his hand and stood to her feet. Skeptical and concerned, she walked away only turning her gaze from Booker when it was necessary. Charles led her inside where people danced and offered to lead. Elizabeth however was displeased and decided to take the lead instead, which was unusual to Charles. They began their slow dance to the love song alongside everyone else. She couldn't bear to look Charles in the eyes but forced her gaze for the sake of decency and mannerism. She didn't want to make things more awkward than they already were. Charles smiled and couldn't believe he was dancing with such a beautiful woman. He had never laid eyes on someone as gorgeous as her, let alone dance with her. "Elizabeth, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," he said as they danced. "Thank you" she replied emptily as she looked away to Booker. She wished it was him that was leading her in a dance. Elizabeth saw that he was staring off into the sky and wondered what was going on that mind of his.

Booker sat there, thinking. With a last puff of his cigarette he crushed the cherry beneath this shoe and exhaled. _This might actually work. If I could just get Elizabeth to take liking of him then I can make things go far. Liz… You need your own family and it's time to start. It doesn't sit right with me being our child's father and your father. I love you but I want to do by what's right. 20 years ago, I sold you. I don't want to make any more mistakes or regrets in my life. You've grown. I'm proud of you. Now it's your time to find a good man. I can see he's already interested. I know you love me Elizabeth but maybe it's best that we do things right._

The thought of Charles becoming her lover made him cringe. Images of Charles loving her instead of him dripped anger to his fists as he balled them. He didn't know what's worse, letting his daughter and lover go to another man or living with the burden of right and wrong. Thinking of it brought a complete and utter frown of contempt. The waiter returned with the wine and placed them on the table. With disdain Booker reached for his glass and immediately drank the spirit, hoping to drown the awful thoughts. It was unbelievably smooth and well worth the price. Its flavor tinged his taste buds and cooled his throat as he swallowed. His train of thought was broken by the exquisite wine. It was so exceptionally delicious; Booker called to the waiter as he walked away and requested the price of the bottle and a refill. The waiter gladly returned to refill his drink.

Suddenly loud gasps and murmuring was heard from inside. Seconds later Elizabeth stormed through the entrance wearing a disgusted and angry expression. Charles urgently followed directly behind her, apologizing for something. Booker watched curiously as she stopped beside him and turned to apprehend Charles. The angry young lady scorned him without discretion.

"Don't touch me like that! And I am not interested."

"Elizabeth, wait. I…"

"Just stay away," she said as she spun around to walk away.

It became entertainment to Booker as he watched and began drinking his second glass. _Oh this was even better second time around._ Booker exhaled from the exotic burn of the wine. _Hm, watching this is great with a drink, _he thought as he chuckled. Charles reached out his hand to her shoulder to try to improve the situation. It horribly backfired as the notion angered her further. "Get away from me!" she hissed as she slapped him across his face. The crowd from inside gasped again from the unexpected crudeness as they watched. Booker's brows raised in shock as he had just witnessed his colleague get smacked. _Well I didn't see that coming, _Booker thought as he sipped his wine.

"Book-Father, we're leaving," Elizabeth demanded as she grabbed his hand, almost causing him to spill his expensive wine.

"Elizabeth wait. You still have your glass to drink. This is great wine."

"Ugh! Wine can wait another day!" She groaned.

"Sorry pal. Whatever you did, looks like you deserved it."

Elizabeth sped with Booker toward home.

"Liz, slow down. What did he do back there?"

"That man is a creep. He kept insisting that I go out on a date with him even after I told him I wasn't interested. Then he touched waist, so I shoved him."

"And so you slapped him for trying to apologize…"

"Booker, I'm not interested in any man or will I ever be. I haven't been when I lived here and I won't now." Elizabeth turned to hug Booker and sighed. "There's only one person for me and he's right here in my arms." Booker couldn't help but hold her and smile. The precious love he felt warmed his heart and gladdened his soul, a reminder that she loved him and only him. "No one could ever take your spot," she breathed as she closed her eyes. Her love was of great value to him but so was his morality. Could it be his own selfishness? He couldn't tell.

Elizabeth held his hand as they walked along the glimmering river. There were plenty of things to see and places to walk but it was about nap time for Elizabeth. Her pregnancy symptoms began to take effect and were more and more noticeable with each passing week. She expressed her drowsiness during their walk and asked if they could head home. One high strung event after another caused her to lose her zen. With a nod of agreement, they changed course for home. Interestingly enough they passed by Lonnie's Confections and Souvenirs. The store instantly reminded him of the same he took home. He had a bone to pick with the shopkeeper. Booker instructed her to go home before him because of work related business he had to attend to. She reluctantly agreed. With a quick kiss on the lips and a soft gesture, "I love you," she parted ways with him.

Booker stepped into the shop but nobody was in sight. "Hey, anybody here?" Booker asked with a firm voice. Then the familiar stature of the mysterious man appeared from the back of the shop to greet Booker.

"I've been expecting you," the shopkeeper began.

"Hey that bottle of whatever you gave me last night; turned me into Comstock!"

"And who might that be?"

"Forget it. It made me… hairy."

"It did its job did it not?"

With annoyance, Booker tried to rebuttal, "Yeah but I didn't like the results."

The shopkeeper warmly smiled at Booker and walked over to one of his cabinets.

"My friend, sometimes in life we have what we want but we don't always want what we have."

"…what?" Booker retorted. His statement came as a riddle to him.

"You will know what I am talking about soon enough," the clerk replied. "I see that you have the same problem and is in need of another solution. This one will do the trick."

"Here try this sample; much more powerful. It can make anyone fall head over heels in love. Just a drop in a drink, and Voila! Nobody can resist the charms."

Booker rolled his eyes "Look, I don't want another sample and I told you. We're not friends."

The shopkeeper placed a minuscule vial on the counter and walked to the doorway of the backroom. "Something tells me you will," he said with a sly tone as he disappeared into the darkness.

"Hey I wasn't done talking to you," Booker announced but there was no answer from the backroom. Suspiciously, he walked over to the conspicuous vial and grabbed it with intention of keen observation. Again like the previous bottle, this one was clear with no labels and was boring to look at. Booker pursed his lips and furrowed his brows with distrust in the gentleman. Nevertheless, he pocketed the vial and headed back home.

As he opened the door to the house Elizabeth greeted him as she laid on the couch reading her book. She had slipped into very suggestive lingerie. A beautifully sheer short black gown adorned with lace around its edges. She had a plan. She was going to make him love her that day. With little acknowledgement of her, he walked into the restroom and stared at the man in the mirror: handsome, strong, gritty, loving, caring, and sinful. The last word was muttered with contempt as he looked into his reflection. He inspected his wild green eyes but couldn't figure out what she saw in him, why she loved him so much. His last definition: sinful, brought him a tinge of shame. The thoughts of morality returned full circle and there he was, contemplating again. _I'm losing my mind._ He thought as he pulled out the vial. _Maybe it's because I don't love her enough._

"Are you okay in there?" Elizabeth said right on cue

"I'm fine," he replied.

He popped open the cork to catch a whiff of its fragrance. To his surprise, odorless yet again. _One drop in a drink huh?_ _Don't know how that will work. Maybe if I just drink it instead. Shouldn't hurt. _He wondered if he should ingest the entire vile. It was no longer than a pack of cigarettes. And no thicker than a cigar.

"Booker?"

"Just a minute," he called out. _Every time I'm in the restroom she does this._

"What are you doing in there?"

Booker groaned and stuck the cork back in the vial and shoved it back into his pocket and exited the restroom. "Elizabeth, there are no tears in there. I'm not going to go to another universe," Booker retorted as he walked to the dining room table and tossed the vial on it. She quietly giggled as she closed her book, "If you did, I'd find you again." Booker just then noticed her outfit and appeal. It was very alluring. He watched as she placed her book down then slowly approached him seductively. With a devious smile and a sultry walk she crept closer. "Elizabeth, I thought you were tired," Booker said softly. He was not in the mood for anything sexual. Still, a half smile of appreciation appeared regardless as he watched her hips sway in a womanly fashion. Her thighs rhythmically swinging one in front of another, drawing Booker's attention. With her hand she slowly slid her hand up her waist to cup her breast. His eyes locked on her hand as she gently squeezed. Sensually, she leaned on his chest as she traced the edge of his lips with her finger. Booker wasn't expecting this amazing surprise and smiled since it had been a while. He chauvinistically grabbed her waist and squeezed, inching his way down to curvaceous her hips. A squeal of delight escaped her parted lips as he leaned in to kiss neck.

"Mr. DeWitt?" A distant voice called, startling the couple. They looked at the front door and realized Booker had left it wide open when he entered. "Mr. DeWitt? Are ya home?" The voice grew louder, approaching the house. Booker ran to the door and slammed it shut making sure nothing inappropriate was seen. He was perfectly on cue as seconds later, it was a very familiar voice called from behind the door. "Uh Mr. DeWitt? You shut the door on me."

"Just a minute," Booker announced from the other side of the door.

"Who is it?" Elizabeth inquisitively asked.

"The guy you slapped" Booker replied as he motioned for her to head upstairs to change.

With rejection she whispered, "What? No! I'm not going upstairs to… Tell him we're busy. Booker, we were busy!" She hinted at their delayed sex by slowly lifting up her gown. Booker's eyes immediately flew toward her freshly cleaned shaven area. His eyes widened at the incredibly enticing spot. It's been a while he's seen it. He shook his head, grinned, and again repeated his notion for her to switch to more appropriate attire. They were participating in completely inappropriate acts and if commoners caught knowledge of their relationship, they'd be ridiculed; the laughing stock of Paris.

"Mr. DeWitt? I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to your daughter, Elizabeth."

"Ugh, he can't be serious!" She whispered.

Booker shooed her upstairs to change. He chuckled when she wined on the way up.

"Argh! Fine, but I want him out in less than 15."

Booker slowly opened the door to greet Charles Trénet. With acknowledgement of each other, the young detective asked for entrance. Booker was surprised to see a bushel of bright red roses and wondered why it was necessary. He invited him into his home and closed the door behind him.

"What exactly did you do to my daughter that you had to bring flowers?"

"Well, I wanted to accompany your daughter out on a nice night around town and… she didn't appreciate the idea. Therefore she shoved me." Charles replied sheepishly.

Booker narrowed his eyes and grittily repeated, "You should know better than to lie to a detective… Detective Trénet."

With a sigh, he responded truthfully "I tried for a hug her after our dance. I just wanted to let her know that I loved it. She dances incredibly well."

"Courting without my permission?"

"I am deeply sorry Mr. DeWitt. I didn't know what came over me."

Booker shook his head and walked to the kitchen to pour Charles a cup of tea and invited him to have a seat at the dining room table. The gentleman agreed and sat down placing the flowers on the table. Booker brought tea over to Charles and walked to his wine rack for a bottle. Wine was always a preference over tea for him.

"What kind of tea is this?"

"Imported from Spain. Try it," Booker, voiced as he read picked up a wine bottle to read it.

Trénet took a sip and found that it was very bitter; it was too strong for him.

"Quite, potent this is. Do you happen to have any sugar?

"Hm" Booker grunted as he selected another bottle to read, not paying Charles any mind.

"Ah here it is. And in liquid form no doubt. My… has science has progressed far," Charles spoke as he took the vial, popped its cork and poured all of its contents into his tea.

_Sugar... What? I never gave him any..._ Just then he had remembered that he placed the vial on the table. _What? No, no. Did he just… _Booker snapped around to see that Charles had already started drinking. The vial was completely empty. _Shit! _Eyes widened and jaw dropped he uttered, "Charles wait! That's not…" The empty tea cup clanked on to the table as Charles smiled at him and spoke, "Is not what?" With a several licks to his lips, he grinned.

"That was splendid! It tasted oddly like… happiness of children and… flowers of Paris.

_God damn it Charles! Shit… what now? Alright Booker think. _Booker spoke cautiously to Trénet as he carefully stepped forward. "Charles… Tell me. Do you feel any different?" _I don't see a beard growing so that's good…_

With a widened and goofy smiled he replied, "Mr. DeWitt. Oh my. When have you taken your shirt off? You're expediently quicker than an eagle snatching fish at noontime." Booker's eyes drifted off as he analyzed Charles's strange analogy. "What?... Charles, I never took my shirt off. You're seeing things."

"Ah! Yes. I agree with you. It is quite warm in here. I shall proceed to follow suit in your lead," Charles said as he ripped off his shirt. "Detective Charles! Don't do that! Put your shirt back on. There's no need to…" Just as he finished removing his garment, he tossed it to his left which happened to hit Elizabeth as she came from upstairs.

"! (gasp) Oh my God!" She yelped as his shirt blanketed her head. "Elizabeth!" Booker respond with alarm as he realized she'd just came from upstairs. _Shit!_ Booker's jaw dropped as he couldn't believe the outrageous scene that was unfolding before his eyes.

"What the hell?!" Elizabeth hissed as she yanked the clothing off her head to see what had hit her. She then realized that it was Charles's shirt and revoltingly tossed it to the floor as she looked up to be slapped with the madness that was developing.

"Oh my god! Charles! Son of a bitch! Why did you throw your shirt at me? Booker why is his shirt off?!" Speechless and incredibly confused, Booker could do nothing but gape his mouth, shake his head and shrug.

"Mr. Trénet! Out of courtesy and kindness we allowed you into our house despite what happened earlier. You've got the nerve to undress in my house and then toss me your shirt like I'm some coat rack?!"

Booker tried to calm the angry young lady but Elizabeth rejected any notions of tranquility. Peacefulness is the last thing that was on her mind. "Elizabeth, just relax there darling."

"No, Booker. I want him out of the house."

Charles was completely separated from reality and his strange reactions proved so. With eyes brightened and mouth wide open, Charles surprisingly spoke with a French accent. "Madam! Oh Madam! You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen!" He generously licked his palms and proceeded to slick his hair back and quickly approached Elizabeth. With grimace of disgust she turned to Booker, confused. "Booker what is going on? Why is he acting like a freak?"

"Liz, he's not… he's under a lot of pressure from work. Detective work is hard." Booker quickly explained. She raised a brow and squinted with confusion. Charles then grabbed her hand as he bent down on his knees. She yanked her hand from his grasp and hissed, "Ugh! You just licked your hands. Get away from me!"

_Christ this is getting out of hand!_ He thought as he rubbed his head as he searched for a way to fix the problem he created.

"Oh Elizabeth, Elizabeth! Please would you kindly marry me? I am desperate for your forbidden love! Like a lonely blue songbird without its pink lover, so as I kneel before you. Take my hand my lady. Come with me to a land lost forever."

"That has got to be the most pathetic proposal I've ever heard! Mr. Trénet. Please leave this house before I am forced to make you leave." With her finger pointed to the door she scowled at the kneeling half naked Charles.

_Is that what was going to happen to me if I drank it? _Booker thought as cautiously approached him. "Charles, look. You're not feeling well. Let's get you some fresh air, alright?" Booker suggested as he drew closer.

"No! No! Why must you reject me so?! Elizabeth No!" Charles hysterically reacted as he instantly slid off his pants.

"No! God damn it Charles," Booker shouted.

Elizabeth covered her mouth and gasped as she witnessed him completely strip down to bare nudity. _What is he doing?! Oh my god!_

"Okay! Getting some fresh air is a bad idea. Charles put your clothes back on… now!" Booker ordered.

"Fresh air! Fresh air! I must be free like a songbird! Elizabeth why must you hurt me. I must go and be free," said the crazed young man as he quickly dashed toward the door. "I must go to a high place and fly away from my sadness!"

"Jesus Christ not again! Hey! Where do you think you're going?! Get back here!" Booker shouted as he chased after the nude man.

_Oh this is going to be so humiliating! All of Paris will mock us and we'll be ridiculed. Argh! We'll be known as the craziest people in Paris. My weekend keeps getting worse… _Elizabeth thought as she stood there with palm to face. "Argh, Booker wait!" she said as she ran after Booker whom ran after Charles.

"Free like an eagle! Free like a songbird!" Trénet shouted as he ran through the streets, hopping over children, chairs, and plants.

Elizabeth darted out of the door to see that Booker had just made a turn around the corner. She ran in that direction.

"Hey! Get back here Charles! You're naked damn it!" Booker yelled as he weaved through the crowd of people. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just wanna…" He yelled until he tripped over Charles's shoe and unto a woman's bosom, knocking her down. "Sorry miss. In a rush here!" Elizabeth caught up and turned around the corner to see Booker laying on top of a random lady.

"Booker?!" she panted confusingly.

"It's not what you think Liz! Come on we're going to lose him if we don't catch up," he retorted loudly.

Elizabeth looked to see the naked madman running loose on the streets. She inched her eyes up to realize that he was making his way to the Eiffel Tower.

"My god Booker! He's going to the Eiffel tower!" she urgently spoke. Booker looked to the top of the tower and added, "The hell is he going to do there? Jump?" Immediately they glanced at each other and realized the severity of the situation and bolted after Charles.

"He shouted something about being free as a bird," Elizabeth panted as she ran alongside Booker.

"He's out of his damn mind. We gotta stop him!" Booker agreed as they chased after Charles.

..

..


	3. Change of Heart

Enjoy! PM me if you have any questions. Thanks for the great reviews. You guys are awesome.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Change of heart**

The crowd gasped from the indecency and obscenity the wild maniac expressed as he shouted gibberish while dashing through the streets of Paris. Charles was drawing close to Place du Trocadero pavilion when Booker and Elizabeth had just made the corner of Rue Foucoult Street. They were beside the river yet again. Instead of a romantic walk, a frantic chase was currently transpiring. "The hell is wrong with him? Why is he so fast?" Booker shouted. _Must be that stuff he took in._

"We'll never catch up to him if we don't do something!" said Elizabeth as they ran. The sharp minded brain of hers formulated a quick plan the moment she spotted a small rock. "Booker a rock!" She quickly bent over and snatched it and resumed running.

"Liz, now's not the time for geology!"

"No I mean here!" she said as she tossed it to him.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Throw it at him. Hopefully it will stop him!" With his strength, he swung his arm back preparing to throw the strawberry sized ball sized rock into the air toward the running man.

Charles had paid no mind to anybody or attention to anything. He was completely detached from reality. He didn't seem to care when he jumped through a thorn bush which pricked every inch of his lower body. Neither did he mind when he knocked an oblivious kissing couple into the river. Even dashing through a swarm of ducks did not faze him despite them chasing after him for revenge.

Not knowing his own strength Booker chucked the rock at high speed. However, due to his horrible aim the rock hit a high class aristocrat between the legs instead of Charles. Elizabeth covered her mouth and gasped when she saw him miss. The fancy man buckled and immediately collapsed to the ground groaning in pain. "Argh damn it!" Booker mumbled. "You missed!"

"Yeah I can see that Liz. Give me another one!" Elizabeth scanned the ground as they ran. With nothing of appropriate size she snatched an ice cream cone from a vendor. "Sorry! I'll come back to pay for it I swear!"

"Elizabeth! The hell is that going to do?!"

"I don't know Booker! There was nothing for me to grab. I'll get rid of it!"

"No, here. Just take a bite and give it to me," Booker retorted. She took a bite of the ice cream and gave it to her lover whom also took a bite on the run. They shared a smile for a quick second. He then passed it to a random kid as they ran by. Elizabeth finally saw something worth throwing and reached out to pick up a grapefruit from a table. "Booker, catch!" She said as she tossed him the fruit. "This'll do!" Again, Booker readied his arm for another throw. With a much harder swing he threw the citrus fruit with maximum velocity but unfortunately, he missed again and hit a cat, launching it off of the fence and into the water. "Oh no, poor cat!" said Elizabeth.

"Ah, shit."

"I can't find anything else!"

"Okay no more rocks or fruits!"

"Booker, Let's use that tandem!"

The two ran over to an unused bicycle that leaned on a building. It was double seated and bright red. Booker was surprised for he had never seen one before. "When did they started making these? I thought they didn't work," he said as he hurriedly hopped on the front seat. "I don't know. I've never even seen one before" said Elizabeth as she sat on the rear.

"Booker start peddling, he's going to get away," she urged after she plopped her bum on the rear seat.

"Elizabeth you're leaning too far to the left. Lean to the right."

"Okay, there," she said, holding tightly to Booker's torso. "I can't steer like this. Grab hold of to the handlebars." Booker started to peddle but was having much difficulty gaining balance. He leaned left and right several times and swerved plenty. "Booker what are you doing? We have to hurry."

"Yeah I know that. I think this thing's loose," he said as he profusely rotated and jiggled the handlebar.

"C'mon!" She urged.

"Elizabeth! I'm doing what I can. Just help me out and peddle" he grunted as they started they started to gain speed very quickly. The bright red bicycle snaked through the streets in a very quick manner. They luckily managed to evade children and bystanders. The broken bike started to rattle and squeak as they peddled faster

"Booker be careful of the people!" They flattened everything that got in their way; trash, food, dog tails, and people's feet.

"Sorry about that!" Booker shouted at anyone's poor feet he squashed. Elizabeth winced at every mushed toe.

"Hey! We're on a bike here! Hey! Move it!" Booker shouted and swatted at the pedestrians as they peddled and swerved along the streets. "Yelling at them doesn't work if we're going too fast for them!" People dodged out of the way for the seemingly inexperienced bikers. Booker and Elizabeth began to minimize the gap between Charles, however…

Suddenly Elizabeth screamed and flung her arms about for no apparent reason. "Elizabeth! You're not helping!"

"No Booker it's a spider! Ah! It's going to bite me!"

"Just kill it already!"

The quarter sized insect that crawled from its home under the seat had jumped from Elizabeth unto Booker's shoulder. "Booker! Don't move!"

"What?!" he shouted back as he tried to steer the broken bicycle. Without hesitation or discretion, she slapped Booker's shoulder, splattering the arachnid. "What the hell Elizabeth?!" The sudden and unexpected jolt of her palm knocked them into an uncontrollable weaving pattern.

"Stop swerving so much! You're going to hit someone! Oh my god. Booker!"

"Would you cut it out back there? I'm trying to focus!" he annoyingly retorted as he looked back at Elizabeth.

"Watch where you're going!" she said as she saw that they were headed straight for children playing with chalk on the streets.

..

"The joys of freedom is almost at hand!" shouted Charles as he sprinted closer to the pavilion. An alarmed policeman also engaged in pursuit while waving his baton. The numerous angry swarm of ducks chased Charles relentlessly and started to peck at him and the officer. "You can't have my freedom! You have your own freedom silly ducks of France!" he shouted and started to run faster, evading them. He effortlessly hoped over a child, leaving him unscathed. The pedestrians shielded their children's eyes as the detective darted past them.

..

The DeWitts have lost control of the bicycle. Luckily for the children, they dodged out of the way just in time. Booker and Elizabeth failed to steer the broken bike and sliced right through their hopscotch drawing and toward a bush.

"Oh my God! Ah!" she screamed as she braced herself. Booker grunted and shouted as he slammed into the curb, flinging them into the bush. The already broken bicycle was completely now unusable. Its front tire turned into a taco. The handlebar was missing. Booker had taken it with him into the shrubbery. Booker struggled his way through the branches and twigs. Elizabeth crawled and fought her way out as she whimpered from the pain. Her frame was more fragile than Booker's and the landing slightly injured her ankle. Leaves were wedged in every corner of their clothing as they finally escaped.

"Ugh! Next time I'll take front seat," she said as she plucked the leaves from her hair and shirt.

"Suits me. You alright?" Booker asked as he patted the leaves off of himself.

"Yes, I don't think but I can run," she said as she worriedly observed her at her ankle. Suddenly she felt him swoop her off her feet and as he jumped back on to the streets. "Booker?" she surprisingly said. "Where are going?" Time was short and without explanation, he ran toward a baby carriage that was parked next to a random mother. "Sorry need to borrow this, I'll bring it back." Fortunately the carriage was empty and the infant was in the mother's hands. Confused, Elizabeth spoke, "What are you doing? Wait are you… I'm not going to fit into that!" She exclaimed. "You will now," he said as he wedged her into the tiny carriage. Her feet and hands dangled off as he shoved her in there. "Booker! Are you crazy?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," he proclaimed as he started to shove the carriage. "Hold on to something!" said he as they gained speed again. "This is so uncomfortable!" she said, while holding her dress down. Booker darted through the streets ignoring every bump and pothole. "Ah! Booker careful!" Elizabeth felt every bump and hop shoot through her body. "Ow!" she cried from the last pothole he hit. "Gotta hurry. He's getting away!" He shouted as he pushed the carriage down the street. "You okay there Liz?" he asked. "I'm fine, just hurry!" Her expression did not match her words. Her apprehensiveness was apparent but Booker couldn't see her face. With consciousness of her comfort, he steered to more level ground. Sounds of Bookers sprinting footsteps and the squeaking of the wheels were now audible instead of the vibration and rumbling. "Better?"

"Yes," she gladly responded. "I suppose this is what you would have done with me when I was a baby," she spoke through the wind with a slight smile in her face. "Except the running but yeah. Never had my chance with you but here we are. And you're still my baby Elizabeth," he replied. A warm delightful smile appeared on her face despite their situation. The father and daughter team raced down the street in hot pursuit of Charles. He was over 20 years late with Anna and a baby stroller but better late than never.

"Booker look!" She pointed as she said as she saw Charles enter the pavilion. There was a wedding occurring. Charles, policemen, ducks, and the DeWitts all crashed through like uninvited guests.

"Your romance cannot stop me!" Charles maniacally yelled as he dashed through. With a high jump, he hopped over the wedding cake but was lacking height and scraped off the top of the wedding cake with his rear end. Charles was now running with cake splattered all over his privates with ducks and police officers chasing after him. "I shall take this child to freedom!" shouted Charles as he reached over and snatched a baby from a mother's hands and continued sprinting. The mother screamed as she saw her a madman running with her baby. She and all of the attendees of the wedding including the groom and bride chased after Charles as well.

"Oh my god! He just stole a baby. Booker he stole a baby!" Elizabeth shouted, urging him to hurry for now two lives were at stake. Booker ran even faster, catching up to Charles. "He's completely lost it!" Booker added. The ridiculous runners were now on the Pont D'Lena Bridge, just meters away from The Eiffel tower. The angry horde of flying ducks started to attack the DeWitts as they came within proximity, swarming them with pecks and sprinkling them with feathers. "God damn ducks! Where's my gun when I need it," he shouted as he swatted at the foul. "Booker make them stop!" Cried Elizabeth guarded herself. He managed to land a punch on a duck as it swooped down. With adrenaline in his veins, he accurately grabbed another duck's neck and swung it at one eating Elizabeth's hair, flinging them both to their left. Being an opportunists and resourceful, he snatched the officers baton and started to swing at the ducks radically. "Booker get closer, I'll try to talk to him!"

"Little busy here! But sure!" he replied sarcastically as he swung at the ducks. Charles had noticed them chasing after him and spoke accordingly.

"Ah! Mr. DeWitt when did you have a child? You're incredibly fast. She is quite a big baby!"

"Mr. Trénet! What you're doing is dangerous! Please hand me the baby!" She shouted as she reached her arms out.

"My dear Elizabeth! This could have been us! This could have been our future! Yes! You, me, our child!" Charles retorted loudly like a maniac.

"Hey! Give us the baby back you lunatic! You're gonna get both of you killed! Did you hear me? Stop running!"

Charles led the absurdity unto the courtyard directly underneath the Eiffel Tower. With lightning quickness and newly acquired agility, he began to climb the base of the support legs. With an infant in one arm, and the steel frame in his other hand he climbed up higher and miraculously acquired elevation. Booker, Elizabeth, and everyone else stopped as they watched him climb the tower.

"*gasp* Oh my god! Booker oh my god! We have to do something," Elizabeth desperately said. She stood to her feet and tried to run to the tower to climb. However Booker's arm impeded her way. His arm stretched in front of her like a gate, implying to let him do it. "I got this," he said as he ran to the base of the tower. Charles hung about 25 feet above Booker when he reached the steel frame. The scene had attracted the masses. The crowd of worried people gasped and chatted amongst themselves wondering what would happen next. The mother of the baby screamed and cried profusely as she saw her baby be taking up to unwanted heights. Booker swiftly jumped from one metal bar to another, quickly closing the distance between them. He was quicker than the crazed detective and stronger. They were reaching the apex of the arch. There was where Charles planned to "fly." The completely unwelcomed ducks started to swarm Booker again with their incessant pecking. They nipped at this hair and shirt as they flew by. "God damn it! I'm gonna hunt every last one of you once I'm through here!" He shouted as he backhanded a duck's beak. "Mr. Dewitt you have brought disaster and shackles with you. You and your feathered friends shall not cage my freedom!" said Charles as the ducks swarmed him as well.

Elizabeth watched with great anxiety. She didn't want to lose Booker or the baby. She could care less about the naked detective but she wanted her lover to live, her father. Like spiders, they crawled their way to the apex. The only moment where she wished she had her powers was when she saw that Booker's hand slipped. She gasped along with the crowd as he struggled to regain his hold and footing. He held on for dear life with his right hand while his other limbs dangled. "Booker! Please be careful!" she yelled. Fortunately he had a good grip or his slip would have been his last action before meeting the afterlife. He then regained correct position and came within arm's reach of Charles. The eyes of the crowd widened with anticipation as they watched as Booker reached Charles. "Hey! Stay where you are! I'm gonna get you down!" Booker yelled as he reached out his arm.

"Freedom!" Charles shouted as he closed his eyes. Booker responded with harsh tone, "Get a hold of yourself! You're Detective Charles Trénet. Stop this and get a grip!"

Suddenly, the French accent disappeared from Charles annunciation. "What in the world?! Why am I here? Why do I have a baby in my hands? I'm naked! What the hell is going on?!" he frantically said. Suddenly a duck dive-bombed Charles rendering his hold on the baby useless. Eyes widened, Booker yelled as he saw the baby fall from Charles's arms. Trénet was stunned as he watched the infant slip underneath his grasp. It was slow motion for everyone viewing. They gasped in horror as the child fell.

Without discretion, Charles dived after the baby, wrapping it in his arms. They both were now in the air facing death. Booker with his reflexes, reached out to grab Charles. The only part of his body he managed to grab was his shin. With all of his strength Booker held tightly. "Mr. DeWitt, I have the baby. Please pull me up!" Charles exclaimed looking downward at Booker. The weight was overbearing. His hand slipped up to his ankle. "Mr. DeWitt!" Charles nervously shouted. Elizabeth yelped as she saw him slip. The crowd followed in suspense. Intense chatter was taking place along with gasping and screaming down on the ground.

Booker focused all of his strength in his arm, slowly pulling the two up. Inch by inch he raised them in the air. He clenched his teeth and grunted from the weight of the two. The muffled groans turned to a roar as he struggled to pull him higher. Fortunately, Booker managed to lift him high enough for Charles to grab a metal bar. "Grab the bar!" Booker commanded. His arm was beginning to lose its power. Trénet reached out and grabbed the metal frame with one arm while his foot hooked on another bar giving him balance.

Fate was on their side for they were now right side up and almost safe. The ducks decided to back away and spend their efforts elsewhere. "What the hell is going on?!" Trénet asked as they slowly made their way back. "Talk later. Save your focus on climbing." Gradually but surely they edged their way down back down. The high tension settled as Booker and made it back to the ground. The moment his feet landed, Elizabeth threw herself onto him. Glad as usual, he held her closely.

"I'm glad you're safe," she said as she squeezed him. "I was so scared that you'd fall. Please don't do anything like that again. Are you alright?"

"I'm doing fine Liz," he replied warmly. The crowed clapped from his heroic act of saving Charles. Booker and Elizabeth notice their applause and smiled, acknowledging the approval. Her hand found its way to his cheek as she gladly spoke, "It looks like you're a hero. But we already knew that. You're _my _hero."

As soon as Charles stepped down, the mother immediately grabbed the baby cried happily for its safety. Instantly the police officers began to arrest him for his crimes. "Mr. DeWitt. I don't understand. What is going on?" Charles nervously spoke as the police officers took him away.

"Don't worry Charles, You'll be alright. I'll bail you out."

"So Booker, that was… very interesting," she cleverly said with a smile.

"This turning out to be one hell of a weekend."

"You can say that again," she lightly giggled. "You wanna tell me exactly what is going on? Why your friend did what he did. And why our weekend is has been so crazy for that matter?"

Booker sheepishly averted his eyes and stalled. "Well…"

"Booker?" she repeated with suspicious tone.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" said Elizabeth as she narrowed her eyes. Her raised brow of suspicion returned and Booker knew well what that meant. He had some explaining to do. There was no escaping this time. Whenever she rested her hands on her hip, she meant business. And it was that business that Booker was afraid to start doing. Nervously, he repeated, "Well… you see…"

"DeWitt? Booker DeWitt?" A feminine voice appeared from the crowd approaching Booker.

_That was close…_ he thought as he looked faced the direction of the voice. His eyes wide open and his mouth hung, he couldn't believe who he saw.

"Booker? I can't believe it's you!" said the unknown woman. She was absolutely stunning, rivaling even Elizabeth's figure and beauty. Her stature; high class and her frame; voluptuous. Her body was petite, but her features were more prominent than Elizabeth's. Her long light brunette hair shimmered in the afternoon rays, highlighting her auburn streaks. Her hazel eyes majestically complimented her overall appearance. The dress she wore was beautiful. She was an attendee from the wedding.

"I know you. Your name is..."

"Evelyn Sylvia Bennett. Do you remember me? I was your crush growing up," she happily explained. "I wanted to say that was very brave of you." This information caused Elizabeth's brows to furrow in displeasure. "I didn't know you were in Paris. I thought it was you running with a carriage chasing that… guy. I didn't know what to think at the time. It really is you."

Booker was pleasantly surprised to see his old friend. Elizabeth did not share the same feelings. Jealousy started to brew in her as she judged her overly happy expression. With her arms folded from her skepticism, she gave a piercing stare.

"I'm surprised," Booker said, almost speechless. "Evelyn, it's been years. How have you been? And what takes you to Paris?"

"10 years to be exact. I'm 28 now. I never thought I'd see you again. And you look so young and... handsome!" Those words were sweet to Booker's ears. Caught by surprise, he forgot that Elizabeth was standing next to him. She glowed green with jealousy when she heard Booker pronounce her name happily. She especially disliked that Evelyn complimented her lover. Only she was allowed to do that.

"I just moved here from Chicago. I wanted to live in a city that's more beautiful than my gloomy ol' hometown. I'd figure this would be a great place," Evelyn said.

"I lived here for almost two months. Wouldn't bet I'd meet a familiar face. Plenty has happened. I want you to meet somebody. This is Elizabeth…"

Elizabeth knew the direction of where Booker was leading his introduction. Filled with jealousy, she decided to intervene and interrupt. Their introduction to Charles with Elizabeth being his daughter was barely acceptable but this was completely intolerable. With an obvious frown, she quickly stomped on his foot, cutting his introduction short. He turned his attention to Elizabeth whom had her lips pursed and her eyes burned with disapproval. Her blue eyes were incredibly darker than usual. He recognized that expression and with caution proceeded to introduce her.

"She's Elizabeth. Just… uh, Elizabeth," Booker timidly continued.

"Oh! You are very beautiful Miss Elizabeth. My name is Evelyn. I'm sorry I glanced over you."

With a slight smile hiding her wrath, she replied, "It's a pleasure."

"Well Booker, I must get back to the wedding. I'm glad that you are okay and doing well. I will be at Taillevent ball tonight. You should join me. I'd love for you to come. We have a lot of catching up to do and you must tell me everything!" She gleefully expressed. Evelyn briskly returned to the wedding gathering as they made their way back to the pavilion.

..

"Just, Elizabeth?" she interrogated. "Just… Elizabeth?" Her eyes were disheartened but burned with the fury of a jealous woman. If envy could glow, she'd be green as the grass she rhythmically tapped her feet on. Her fingers followed in similar pattern as she kept her arms folded. Booker had never seen this side of her. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. She narrowed her eyes, waiting for an answer from Booker. Caught off guard and in unfamiliar territory, he stuttered and mumbled but could not articulate sensible words.

"Elizabeth, I…"

"Who was that?"

"That would be Evelyn," Booker replied trying to buy time.

"I know her name. Why didn't you tell me about her?"

"She's just an old friend from years back."

"She obviously has taken interest in you. Why didn't you say I was yours like you used to?"

"Liz, could we just move on and go back home?" Booker groaned.

"No, Booker. You owe me an explanation; for her, for Charles, for everything!"

"Okay. Just take it easy darling. I'll explain everything once we get home okay?"

Elizabeth quickly spun and paced onwards without Booker, leaving him behind. Motionless, he stood in the hell that he had created starting yesterday. His plans made everything worse, throwing everything out of balance. And now a familiar and attractive friend approached him, possibly stirring the already crazy weekend. Without the correct introduction of Elizabeth as his fiancé, the door to disaster remained open. He thought to himself, _Elizabeth doesn't like this one bit. Everything that happened made things a whole lot worse. Alright, no more plans for now. _Booker followed in Elizabeth's direction, quickly catching up to her. On the bridge, they walked side by side. An uncomfortable silence hovered between them. Elizabeth's posture was stiff, too stiff for Booker's liking. This terrible situation that he created had to be fixed. He knew it bothered her greatly. With effort to break the awkward silence he calmly spoke, "Look Elizabeth…"

"…You're interested in her, aren't you?" she quietly muttered. Booker wasn't expecting an immediate response in that manner. Her expression still carried a frown. Jealous and slightly hurt, she averted her face when she saw her lover glance at her. The view of the passing river was more tolerable than Booker's gaze. With a sigh, he reinforced his position with her, "Alright, I know what you're thinking. It's not like that. She's just an old friend that I happen to meet again."

"Then why do I feel like this? Booker, I maybe a lot of things but one thing I am not, is stupid. This whole weekend, everything; why do I get the feeling you don't love me and you don't want to be with me?"

"Liz…"

"Nevermind. We'll just talk about this later tonight. We should get ready for the ball." The Taillevent balldidn't seem like a good idea anymore to him now after all of plans have backfired. Returning there after today's events surely was another bomb waiting to explode. It didn't sit well with him. He decided it wasn't the greatest idea to go. He remitted, "It's best if we don't go. I think I had enough excitement for today." Surprisingly, Elizabeth stopped him dead his tracks with her palm on his chest and spoke with utter seriousness. With eye to eye, she ordered "No. We're going. She needs to know, no… all of Paris needs to know that I am yours and you belong to me." She was strong and determined,

Like father…

Like daughter…

Quieted from her command, he agreed silently. Elizabeth's fingers found her way into his hand as they continued walking. Fierce and tough, yet soft and lovely; it was a deadly combination that Booker fell for. He remembered that she turned over an entire city to fulfill her wish; put a bullet through a man just to satisfy her desire. She was an animal, but a tamed one. Just as she was quick kill someone, she was quick to help. It was best to let her have her way for now. Sometimes it would freighted him how much she resembled him. She _is_ his daughter through and through. Now he just has to hope the ball doesn't all go to hell.

"Do you see it anymore?"

"See what?" she asked.

"…Tears. Do you see them anymore?"

"Not after we passed through the last one. I don't even feel them anymore. You already know this. Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering."

"Sometimes I would have dreams, dreams of my powers returning to me. To go wherever I please and to through any door I wish. I used to see through all the doors, but now not a single one."

"Hm…"

"You never strike me as a man that was afraid of God."

"Never was… But I'm afraid of you."

Elizabeth looked into Booker's eyes for a second. "Don't be," she added as she lightly smiled.

They continued their slow walk back home. The sun was close to the horizon. Several more hours and the skies will be filled with the glorious warm colors of the sunset. As they continued they stride along the bridge, they chatted. Elizabeth decided to lead them on the long way home, which gave them ample time to talk.

"Booker do you remember when we first met?" she warmly asked.

"Yeah, when you through those books at me? I never had that much information jammed into my head all at once."

"Very funny…" she sarcastically smiled. "What did you think of me?"

"I thought you were beautiful. Though at the time, all I wanted was to just get you back to New York. I didn't care much for beauty," he scoffed.

"How about the time on the boardwalk in Soldiers Field?" Elizabeth asked. With a sigh of reminiscence, Booker smiled and shook his head.

"Columbia… I suppose it was our first, uh… date?"

"It was my only date. You were the only person I knew."

"And then we took off from there," Booker chuckled.

"You were my first Booker…" She said as she gripped his hand tighter. Her eyes were bright again. The bluish tint transformed to a hazy grey with a hint of blue. They were incredibly alluring as Booker gazed upon them. Somehow they always seem to change when she is on the happier and brighter side of life. Or whenever they were having sex.

"Everything that we've been through together, led us here to Paris," she smiled. "To Paris with someone I love. And not just anyone, but you. I'm grateful for it. We really have to hand it to them."

"Lutece?"

"They set up everything. They gave us a chance to be together. Now… they don't exist anymore…"

"Good riddance…"

"Without them, we wouldn't be here."

"I suppose. It seems I can never get away from people like them. This other guy I met, reminds me of them."

"And who is that?"

Digging into her question would bring up the sour subject that was meant for later. Instead, Booker shrugged it off hoping to avoid a bad subject. "Don't worry about it. It's nobody."

Curious, he asked, "Does it ever bother you? That I'm also your…" With a minute giggle she answered.

"I thought you'd figure this one out by now. Not even a little bit. I am comfortable with you in both roles and I am perfectly fine with kissing either one."

"Hm…"

"…Does it bother you?" Elizabeth turned to face Booker and halted her walk. Curiously he wondered why she stopped. Then his mind figured out exactly why. Her eyes were searching for an answer deep in his mysterious green eyes. He knew this subject would surface eventually and there it was. He hid his struggle for weeks and procrastinated searching for the solution. He searched his mind for an appropriate response. There they stood, directly between the Eiffel Tower and Jardins Du Trocadero pavilion. Every noise faded for Booker. Only the sound of the streaming river beneath them was heard. He didn't answer. His lips opened to release words, but only air escaped. The silence between then aroused Elizabeth's curiosity and suspicion.

"…Booker?" She asked again.

"N-No… It doesn't," Booker blankly answered.

"Prove it to me."

"What?... What do you mean? Elizabeth, I came here through the tear. I did it for you, for us, and for our child. I…"

"When was the last time you actually made love to me? When was the last time you told me you love me?"

He sighed and drifted his eyes elsewhere. The time to tell the truth was near and he couldn't handle the pressure. His averted eyes revealed it.

"Call me by my name, and kiss me. Do it like you mean it," she said with serious voice. Her tone had a hint of hurt, a hint of pain. She reached out and held his hands as she studied his face. His body language proved his case. He wasn't sure anymore.

"Elizabeth, look…"

"No. My real name. Say the name that you gave me the moment I breathed my first."

"Liz…"

"Father!.."

He swung his eyes to hers and stared into them. There was silence yet again. Booker could hear her heart cracking like glass under pressure. Her grip on his hands began to loosen. He was beginning to break her heart. He had to do something and something quick. He suppressed the truth once again and did what he must. It was a cycle. He ignored his feelings and jumped through the tear. Now he chose to ignore his feelings once again, just for Elizabeth.

"Anna…" Booker softly spoke. Her eyes lit like an ember. She waited eagerly and desperately for his next move. Her breathing paused, awaiting his rescue. She parted her lips in preparation for his soft touch. Her skin crawled the moment she heard those words. It was her request that Booker rarely fulfilled. _Finally_ she thought with blissful hope. Her eyes began to soften as he leaned in closer, his lips drawing near. She found herself on her toes, pulling herself closer to him. The moment could not be sweeter and the anticipation brought memories of their first kiss.

"I love you," he warmly whispered. The inch that was between the lips shrank as his lips lightly touched hers. The softness of her lips enveloped his. She couldn't help but to drape her arms around his broad shoulders. The only thing she asked in return from Booker was that he love her and love her passionately. As they stood there kissing in the afternoon sun, time slowed to a stop. Everyone and everything faded into a fuzz. He wrapped his arms around her waist and swam in her warm embrace. The world lit again with the brightness of their love. It was a refresher for Elizabeth. It was what she longed for: his love. Being in each other's arms felt cozy and beautiful. The forbidden love she drank was intrinsically delicious and mystical beyond what they could fathom. No conventional love could ever suffice her desire; her appetite was that of something more majestic but illicit. She has destined herself to be his forever. Not even time could change her feelings. The breeze passed by, brushing her dress and lifting her lengthy hair creating a picture perfect centerpiece of romance. Like fateful lovers, they kissed fervently.

She fated herself to disaster if anything were to ever happen to him or between them. It was tragedy she was willing to willing risk jumping into. She lived for moments like these that they shared. As rare as they were, they were worth it. Booker was the first to slowly pull away, leaving her eyes closed and lips slightly puckered. He lovingly watched as his lover hovered in a dreamy state. Her eyes crept open to see her view full of his handsome face. With a sincere and kind smile, she leaned in to rest her head on his shoulder. Frozen in time, they held each other tightly absorbing each other's love.

"No matter what happens between us, I will always love you," Elizabeth whispered from the bottom of her heart. "I promise…"

Her promise humbled him and yet lifted him higher than the clouds. He felt like the luckiest person in the world. Booker loved her and he loved her deeply. The cloudy pursuit of morality was quelled for now as he held her in his arms.

He turned to the afternoon sun that hid behind the clouds. With worry in his heart that he might not sustain his love forever, he asked in his heart like a quick prayer: _please don't let my love for Elizabeth fade… _The uncertainty weighed heavy in his heart. He couldn't bear to shatter her dreams, their dreams. She meant everything to him. His spirit was willing but weak from all the fighting. He wasn't looking forward to another restless night that sapped his strength.

Going to the ball most likely meant trouble. He had his fair share of disastrous plans. _Funny_, he thought. _All my plans were terrible and the moment I want to stop and try to love her, Evelynn shows up. The universe can't decide whether it wants me with her or not. Nothing is making sense anymore. _A new and better plan was made in his heart. _The moment I see Evelynn and everybody else, they will know that Elizabeth is my love. I don't care anymore. From this point on._

..


	4. Love and Complications

Time for a transition ;)

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Love and Complications**

The gust of wind that blew through Elizabeth's hair ruffled Booker's already scruffy head. All the running and climbing had stirred it so. There was not a care in the world about his own hair. He hadn't even realized that mess. As Elizabeth held her hair down, she noticed his hair flaying all about. She reached up to slick his hair to the side. With a couple pats, he looked neat and tidy again. Booker glanced over to her carrying a light smile. She was still adorable even after all those years. "There," she happily stated, looking at her lover's face.

Her view was distracted by a hand feministically waving in the distance at their direction. Her eyes zoomed in to realize that it was Evelyn several meters away chatting with guests. She instantaneously frowned and jutted her jaw. Booker turned his head to see why she scowled. Interestingly enough, Evelyn's face brightened as he made eye contact with her. She waved in a cute fashion that made Booker lightly grin. For whatever reason, he liked that attention she gave. With his hand raised in a high-five, he returned her hello with a nod. "Ahem." Elizabeth cleared her throat, trying his attention.

As soon as Booker acknowledged her wave, her cute smile turned adorable. Her gaze remained on him as they kept walking. They kept eye contact until Elizabeth, groaned, "Ugh!"

Booker turned his head and quickly suppressed his smile and stared forward, avoiding Elizabeth's obvious discontentment. "What a floosy…" she said as she crossed her arms.

"Elizabeth..."

"Who do you think is prettier?"

With a laugh, he answered, "Of course you darling."

"Really… What are the color of mother's eyes?" She asked with slight brashness. Her question raised his brow as he wondered why she would ask that.

"Hazel…" He hesitantly answered.

"Uh huh… I'm pretty sure you loved her eyes."

"I didn't like her for her eyes if that's what you're getting at."

"But you still loved them nonetheless. Am I right?"

He responded with a chuckle, shaking his head. Elizabeth's eyes couldn't help but roll while she pursed her lips. She wasn't happy to hear that. For a split second she wished her irises were hazel instead of blue. The silence brought uneasiness to Booker so he reached out to hold Elizabeth's waist. His action of affection relaxed her composure. "I love you and only you Liz." Those affirming words tore away the last remaining bits of her hardened expression. With relief, she rested her head on him as they walked.

The wedding took place at the other end of Trocadéro Gardens when they first walked by. It was a pretty large wedding with many guests. They stopped at the plaza end of the shallow man made pool and studied its massive length. He could see the wedding from this position. It somehow brought back memories of Columbia and its beauty.

"Elizabeth, you skipped rocks at the beach in Columbia. Wanna show me how you did it?"

With a smile, she agreed and reached for smooth rocks that laid at their feet. "I thought you'd never ask." After handing him a rock, she positioned herself and aimed. "Watch this," she confidently spoke before she flung the smooth stone. They watched as it hopped several times before it sank. Intrigued, he asked, "How did you do that?

Elizabeth brightly smiled and replied, "It's easy, here." She corrected his hand and the angle of his rock. It was all new to him. "There now all you have to is just fling it."

"Sounds easy enough," he said as he tried it. With a strong toss, the rock sliced through the water and straight to the bottom. It was a terrible throw. "It was the rock," he said, blaming the rock. She giggled as she saw how he threw it like a baseball making a large splash.

"No silly, you have to throw softer and you know… scoop it. Like so…" Again she picked up another rock and with skilled hands, she skipped the rock several meters before it finally lost its inertia.

"Hm" he casually grunted as he tried again. This time with better aim and position. With a softer throw, he flung it and surprisingly it skipped twice before it sank.

"Huh, beginners luck?"

"Not too bad there Booker."

Rock after rock, they skipped. Elizabeth had a higher hop count than Booker but of course he was new at it. He learned fast and it felt good to him that Elizabeth taught him how to skip a rock. It was a precious bonding moment between them. They smiled and laughed as they enjoyed their afternoon time. Finally, it was the well-deserved fun that they needed. Booker reached down and to grab another rock but to his surprise, it felt squishy and wet. "What the…" He pressed his fingers together to feel what it was. The awkward feeling of bumps and wetness aroused his curiosity. He looked at his hand to realize it was an amphibian of some sort.

"Booker, what is that?" she asked curiously as leaned in to observe.

He opened his palm and they both stared at it. Suddenly four limbs flayed about wildly as it jittered around.

"Oh my god, ew!" she said she covered her mouth and flinch.

"Must be a frog of some sort," said Booker.

"It's revolting! Throw it into the pool!"

"I have a better idea. Here," he said as he passed the small frog in Elizabeth's direction. "Ah! Booker! No, stop!" she shouted as she frantically swung her arms, guarding her hair and face. Booker laughed as he saw her dance about wildly. "It's not funny! It's in my hair oh my god, ew!" He laughed louder enjoying her every move. "Booker get out! Please!" He announced to her that the frog landed on the grass somewhere and wasn't in her hair. "Are you sure?" she asked as she patted and combed her hair.

"One hundred percent."

"Argh! That wasn't funny!"

Booker chuckled as she adored her cuteness. She placed her hands on her hips and stared at him, letting him know he was in trouble. Elizabeth didn't care much for pranks, especially gross ones. With a raised brow, she silently asked an apology. "Alright, Liz. Sorry," he said as he walked over to hug her. She playfully spun around, showing him her back. She gladly accepted his hug and smiled. "I'm going to get you back for that," she said as she challenged him. "I'm not afraid of frogs," Booker replied. With a tiny giggle, she retorted, "I have my ways."

She leaned her head back on to his shoulders and kissed his neck. She love it when he held her like that. Her once crossed arms, were now resting freely in Bookers embrace. As Elizabeth closed her eyes, she softly whispered through her smile, "I love you."

With a kiss, he capped her words of affection and smothered her in his afternoon love.

Frozen in time they stood at the pool and held each, relishing in the moment. Time easily passed by as they cherished each other in the city of love. Happiness and love, she felt it again. It was her life source, her oxygen, and her heartbeat. Without words, they told each other they loved one another by their affection. His hand covered her hands, resembling the shelter he provided for her. His large figure was her refuge from the death that so easily took lives and hearts. With another kiss, she bathed in his embrace while basking in the evening rays.

..

Booker tapped his fingers on her hand as he saw a Ferris wheel in the distance. Elizabeth opened her eyes and asked, "Hmm? What is it?"

"Look, a Ferris wheel." She looked in the direction his eyes pointed. Her smile remained as she watched the wheel turn slowly. He wanted to ride it with her, an idea that she would have appreciated. Just then her eyes lit up.

"C'mon there's something I want to see that I never had a chance to!" she said as she extracted herself from his embrace. With her hand still holding his, she started leading him to the theme park.

"And what would that be?" he asked curiously.

"This way!" she said as she led him out of the Trocadéro Gardens.

The theme park wasn't too far away. The couple hurriedly turned the corner to be greeted by the entrance. "Not a bad location," Booker said as he laid eyes on the attractions. As soon as Elizabeth saw something in particular, her smile turned excited. "Quickly, this way!" she said as she pulled him in. "Elizabeth we're missing everything else," he responded as he ran along with her.

"C'mon this is going to be great!" When they stepped near Elizabeth's targeted attraction, she stopped and pulled off Booker's old cravat from her hair. "Are you ever going to get rid of that?" Booker asked.

"Of course not. You know it means a lot to me," she replied happily. "Even though it's old, it's yours." With that response, she stretched it out to wrap around Booker's head.

"Elizabeth what are you doing?" he asked with curious smile.

"You'll see," Elizabeth said with excitement in her voice. She wrapped it around his eyes, blindfolding him. With a giggle, she completed with a knot in the back. Stepping in front of Booker, she asked if he can she her. "I see red everywhere. Oh and your feet."

"No Booker you can't open your eyes. You have to close them," she said as she fixed his blindfold, preventing him from seeing anything at all. She then took his hand and slowly led him by holding his hand. It was unusually quieter. The sounds of people and children laughing, attractions, and music were the only audible sounds. He wondered where the sounds of the immediate people that were near. They were there just seconds ago. Little did he know that Elizabeth was shushing the people nearby. With her finger on her lips, hinting for quietness as she led him up the steps. "Elizabeth? Where am I going?" he asked as he carefully walked up the steps. "Here Booker, get on this," Elizabeth spoke as she carefully help him seat something. _This feels like I'm sitting on a horse… _He thought as sat there wondering the hell was going on. With one hand he grabbed a pole in front of him. He scanned the area with his head, despite him being temporarily blind. "Elizabeth?" he called. "I'm over here!" she responded as she held his hand. She was within arm's reach of him. A familiar chime jingled through the air. He knew of that sound. "Wait a second. I know this… Elizabeth, am I…" he said before the seat he was one started to move.

Elizabeth giggled as Booker took off his cravat to realize where he was and what he was doing.

"Elizabeth, I'm on a carousel?" he surprisingly spoke. With eyes widened and slightly confused, he looked over to the pleasantly pleased Elizabeth as she returned with a bright and loving smile. "Liz, I…" he chuckled as they rode around. "This is for that frog isn't it?" he said through a smile.

"Yes, and because I imagined you on one but never got to see you ride one. And now here we are riding one together in Paris." He handed her back his cravat and she tied a bow near the bottom of hair. Her looks resembled her appearance he first met her, just more beautiful and with longer hair. "I knew if I were to ask you, you wouldn't do it. I figured I'd trick you into it. Like they say, two birds with one stone." He shook his with a delightful smile. "You always have a way of getting what you want."

"I have many forms of wish fulfillment," she cleverly added. Her hold on Booker's hand remained as they rode around in circles. With adventure and fun in their heart the enjoyed the evening in each other's company.

..

Several minutes later, their bums were planted in the Ferris wheel seats. The wheel slowly spun, taking them on a romantic ride. With hot dogs in their hands, they ate and chatted.

"This reminds me of Columbia," Elizabeth said. "You know, I sort of miss it. Do you ever think of it?"

"From time to time I would. Sometimes I would remember your tower, Finkton, and the night we made love."

"Those were good memories…" Elizabeth said as she nibbled her last bite.

"They were. We got new ones now," he said as he stared into the approaching sunset. Elizabeth cuddled into his chest as they enjoyed the ride. With her hand wrapped around his chest, she quietly spoke, "I still can't believe the life that we're living now and everything we've been through; Colombia, Songbird, Paris, you, and our baby. Not to mention everything else."

"Hm. We definitely lived through things normal people wouldn't. We're not much normal either."

With a sweet giggle, she added, "No Booker, we're _definitely _not normal," she looked up for a kiss. With an implied joke, she received the kiss from Booker. One kiss turned into another and that led to more kisses. They found themselves fervently kissing as they rode around. She slowly felt his chin as he caressed her waist. With lips now parted they whispered as he held her in his arm.

"I loved that you're in my life. When I had my powers, I searched through every door. I saw what's behind them all."

"What did you see?"

"Death… In every one them, was me… suffering. In the end of them all, I died."

"From what?" he asked. He knew of the answer but asked anyway.

"From me… I take my own life. So I saw no future for myself. I didn't have a reason to live. I thought, if I'm going to end up dead by my own hands, I might as well get revenge."

"In this sunken city you told me about, Rapture."

"Yes… I hated it there. It was a bad place."

"You never told me what living here for six years was like," Booker asked. He wanted to change the subject to something else.

"It was… great but, empty. Beautiful but all the beauty eventually faded as I slipped into depression. Everything is so colorful now. Back then it was all… grey, black and white."

"And you never once tried to move on."

"Ugh, men like Charles… They think just because they have money or charm or a fancy way with their words, that they can woo me." Her soft voice went from whisper to utterance. "They can never do what you did and be who you are," she said as she tightened her arm around her lover. "You've done so much of what no one could do, ever. You're also my father and I love that. No one could ever be that for me," she said as she kissed his neck and dug her face into his chest.

"Hm, that explains why you're so distant and cold to Charles."

"Ugh!" She expressed disdain from hearing that name. Any and every guy would extract the same reaction from her: disgust.

..

The Ferris Wheel came to a stop and they made their way off. The sunset was near. Just over an hour before the sun touched the horizon. Unfortunately, there wasn't much time to enjoy the rest of the attractions. They had a fancy ball they must attend. With hand in hand, they strolled along the Parisian streets making their way back to their home sweet home.

..

The time attend the ball was near. Also it was the time to confess to everyone there, and to Elizabeth that she was his lover. Life was moving ahead of him, making the decision for him, but he wasn't ready. Not in his heart. He hadn't won his battle with morality. The event made him uneasy and anxious. The sharp fear of breaking Elizabeth's heart wrestled the grip of morality that latched onto him like a leech, sucking his life and love away. Like a plague; the righteous disease that will ultimately consume him if untreated. It was quelled for the time being. But as with anything significant, they always returned with exponential implications. Booker's situation was no different. He was not immune.

He could not foresee the distance his love for Elizabeth would take him but he knew it hadn't carried him to the finish line. He hasn't won. Not yet at least. The bitter presence of morality festered in his mind like a malignant tumor, eating him alive. Booker's indecision weighed heavily on his soul, crushing his spirit and suffocating his love. He would eventually fade away due to spiritual asphyxiation. The struggle was real and apparent.

There he stood studying the man in the mirror. His bedroom provided quietness and privacy but it was only momentarily given. Elizabeth entered their bedroom sporting a smile with a pep in her stride. Happy as always, she hummed her way to their beautifully carved antique wardrobe. He followed her movements from the reflection of the mirror. _She's quite happy… I love that girl but damn it I can't shake these feelings._ His eyes dropped to the floor with worry and anxiety. His view went black as he shut his eyes in effort to reduce the stress. The pressure of his constricting hand cupping his forehead alleviated some tension he felt. The magnitude of his cognitive dissonance was tearing him in two. He felt every seam of his inner being rip with each passing day. The overshadowing presence of his morals could be suppressed from time to time with happiness and love. Like an antidote to his poison, was her affection and love. It would always charm him just like it did when he felt her presence near. Her gentle embrace around his chest hit him like a cut and a bandage. He couldn't tell which came first. Both agreeable and disagreeable, the confusion caused him to rake his hair back. Her soft hair draped over off his body like beautiful curtains. Her silent breath massaged his skin as she breathed. His eyelids slowly raised like shutters revealing his daughter at his left side, underneath his arm. Her smile complimented the image. It could of have been a picture pose had it not been for his frown.

He had forgotten that his shirt laid over in the corner exposing his built upper body. He looked in that direction from the mirror with slight intention of retrieving it. It was gone. Like a good spouse she had already retrieved it and compiled it with the rest of the dirty clothes. His minute idea died along with his tiny intention. It wasn't surprising that she played the role of a spouse so well even though she wasn't technically one. It surprised him that the idea of covering his body even sprouted. Morality had worked its way quite far and this he had noticed. _First time I ever thought I should be dressed around her._ His train of thought was interrupted by something more racy. He felt her soft lips kissing his chest, her eyes closed. His eyes locked on those delicious plump lips of hers. He enjoyed it… and he didn't.

_Look at this. My daughter's all over me… _With each kiss and pecks of love, it chiseled away his stern and rough composure, weakening his position to resist. A light smile found its way to his lips. An appreciation for her gentleness kept his smile afloat. His eyelids widened as he saw that velvet tongue of hers slither out from her lips as she glazed an inch of his pectorals. Like a thousand bugs crawling up his spine, the chill sent him to a wintery paradise. It felt like a pleasurable contradiction. _Jesus Christ…_ he thought as he felt blood rushing through his body. His heart thumped loudly when she slowly withdrew her tongue to suckle on his chest. He was quite reactive and his body told him in that instance he was ready. Even his body agreed with Elizabeth. _Are we going to do this now?_ He thought. It excited him. It's been a while since he felt any type of silky love. His chest rose as he took a deep breath. Her fingers found her way to his chest, tracing every crease of his muscle. Her nails lightly carved his skin as she curled her fingers. _Shit… here we go._ The weight of his lids became too much and slowly shut. His breathing was no longer peaceful and calm but excited and motivated, getting ready for something more intense. Suddenly he opened his eyes in surprise as he felt her teeth against his skin, nipping his chest. "Fuck…" he exhaled as that word of pleasure escaped from the back of his throat. The memory of her lustfulness had escaped his mind. He forgot that she was a sex demon, a sexual deviant that no man could resist. He was dancing with the devil. _I am the luckiest man in the world. _He thought as he tilted his head back in delight. He stood motionless as she worked her magic on him, breaking away his every sense of resistance. Her love spell was toxic.

..

Like waking up from a dream he looked down at Elizabeth whom carried a devious smile as she slowly departed from him. Her succubus like gaze pierced his soul as she eventually looked away and proudly took steps away from him. He was left jaw hanging, heart thumping, and with a bulge between his legs. He stared at her figure as she seductively paced toward her wardrobe. "Hmph…" Elizabeth smirked as she flipped her hair. She had power over him and loved that she did.

"Why did you… What the hell?" Booker unsatisfyingly uttered.

"That… was for introducing me as 'just Elizabeth' and not your fiancé." She cunningly replied.

Booker groaned and rolled his eyes at her. He tried to readjust his pants due to his lump causing him discomfort. With much effort, he failed. He was too large. She leaned on her dresser to enjoy her view. It was slightly comical to her. Elizabeth giggled as she enjoyably watching him struggle to attempt a correct position that maintained comfort. With annoyance, he yanked off his belt and kicked off his pants, exposing his evident erection in his underpants.

Her stare now locked between his legs. Her eyes brightened at first glance. Unexpectedly she began to lust after him and desire him. Her plan somehow was beginning to backfire. Something unfortunately about the DeWitts caused their plans to always fail and explode. There she stood with just a corset and underwear, staring blankly at her lover.

_Maybe I should… God it's been so long, _she thought as she pictured him on top of her. Her thoughts quickly transitioned to him being inside of her. Her lust filled fantasies unknowingly led her hand to her jaw. She was in observation and desire mode. _He's so big… _She couldn't remove her gaze from his almost naked body. _My god… so built and hard. He's such a man. _He was so well chiseled, like a Greek God. She admired his godly chiseled body and wished that he would just pick her up and enter her. She found her finger almost in her mouth, folding back her bottom lip as her thoughts carried her away.

There was unusual silence coming from Elizabeth as Booker messed around with his hair in the mirror. Noticing the quietness, he glanced over to Elizabeth whom was obvious about her desire for him. Her lips parted and her hand below her belly button, her eyes rode up and down along his body. With a mischievous smile, Booker began to slowly approach her. Her self-induced trance was broken as he stepped closer. Caught by surprise she braced the dresser nervously. With a timid smile, she huffed and averted her eyes. Booker's large frame overshadowed her as he charmingly positioned himself directly in front of her. Her eyes followed up his tall stature and landed directly into his eyes. Her hands that were on the dresser were now trapped underneath his large hands. She couldn't escape if she wanted to. That power, that sexy and alluring control that he had over her started to churn her deepest desires. It seems the tables have been turned and now the power was in his hands. _Booker…_ she helplessly thought as he leaned over her. His bulge was still present and that was his weapon. Her heart raced when she felt his tip touch her clitoris through the layers of their undergarments. She quietly gasped as the small shock of pleasure shot through her body. He slowly dug his erection inward between her legs inch by inch, wetting her as he went along. Her breathing was ragged with pleasure as he crept. It felt so good despite the layers. Seductively, Booker leaned in and hovered just above her neck, teasing her. She could feel his hot breath brushing the skin of her vulnerable throat, enticing and awakening her innermost parts. Her panties were soaked now.

He could feel his underwear dampen. He had the power and he loved it. Smoothly he gave her one kiss, one smooch, which sent her into a pleasurable escape from reality. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the lasting effects and aftereffects. The sensuality of his eroticism produced a small moan of pleasure from Elizabeth. He could hear her breathe in the delight as he kissed her again. Another moan pleasured his ears. It was slightly more apparent.

He had better be careful before his plan fails. Just as quickly as before when Elizabeth broke away from him, he extracted himself from her. Confused and dazed, she wondered why he stopped. Without giving her a single glance, he briskly headed to the bathroom while smirking along way. "Ugh!" Elizabeth huffed as she watched him walk away. She stood breathless and almost speechless. "Booker!" she said as he entered the bathroom.

With a chuckle, he replied, "That was for teasing me" and locked the door behind him. He laughed as he turned on the water. The door handle jiggled as he stepped into the tub to be drenched with steaming hot water. "Booker! That wasn't funny," Elizabeth spoke from behind the door. He smiled deviously as he started to wash his hair. His raging erection insisted that he unlock the door but he resisted and continued bathing in the steamy waters. _Booker you daredevil, _he thought as he laughed to himself. He was going to regret doing that to Elizabeth. _Ah, this is the life._ The soothing waters massaged his body as he closed his eyes to enjoy its relaxing touch. He reached for the shampoo and lathered in the suds. He was never one to take long in the shower and quickly washed away the soap.

..

Suddenly the shower curtain swung open revealing Elizabeth with an evil smile. With her hand on the 'hot' knob, she threatened, "Booker. Say you're sorry or else."

"Elizabeth! How did you get in here?"

"How could you forget that I knew how to pick locks?" she craftily smiled. "Now say you're sorry."

"I'm trying to shower here Liz, what are you… Argh!" he shouted as the water instantly turned cold.

"Well?" she asked as she raised a brow

"Alright! Elizabeth I'm sorry!"

"Who's Elizabeth?" she cunningly asked.

"Jeez would you just turn the hot water back on?"

"I'm sorry, were you talking to me?"

"Anna! Alright sorry! Damn it it's cold!"

With a smile she turned the hot water back on and slowly stepped into the tub, joining his steamy session. With her hand gripping his erection, she stared into his eyes. "What are you doing?" he asked quietly while observing her actions. Booker should have paid attention to her irises for it was hazy grey again. He could have picked up on her intentions if he had just looked. Her naked and wet body shouted for affection and sex. She led his hand between her soft thighs. _Shit…_ he thought as he cupped her wet spot. Instantly, he felt warmth and slickness through his fingers. _Damn it's been a while._ Her clitoris was swelling with need and he felt it as he slid his slowly slid his finger down her labia. Without hesitation he slipped his finger inside. A quick moan escaped her from her throat, affirming his action. She was hungry for sex and what Booker did, awakened her fleshy desires. The pace of their sexuality was moving much quicker than usual. With both hands he chauvinistically grabbed her bum, exciting her desires. He rested on the tiles as she led his hardened rod between her legs. The overdue affection and his touch caused her to aggressively lean on his chest. Booker was insanely close to entering. His tip rubbed against her clit as her pelvic drew closer. They were both throbbing.

He didn't want it but yet he did. He couldn't help but enjoy every last second. Of course, it wasn't as morally pleasurable. Ice and fire did not mix well. One will overtake the other. He denied internally and wished for an escape. However her delectable softness surrounded him, encapsulating him and enticed him to enter. His actions didn't reflect his inner rejection. At this point they were feverishly kissing. With a strong grasp he lifted her up eye level to him. She squealed with a delightful gasp. She loved it when he could grab a handful of her body. There they froze, starting at each other with love filled eyes. They were entangled in each other's passion. As the drops of water ran down his jaw, she slowly wiped them, watching them disappear and return. She admired everything about him, even how the droplets dripped off his chin. Entranced in a steamy love spell, she sensually whispered, "Do it. Take me. Make love to me." His body moved without his command. His senses were on autopilot. Slowly, he lowered her down, wedging his tip between her slit.

Booker paused in thought before he let her swallow him. _Don't think I can do this… Doesn't feel right. Anna. You're Anna… _His expression screamed of the inward battle he was fighting. But he couldn't remove his gaze from her hazy seductive eyes, he loved how she looked when wet with water. Her petite frame and breast rubbed against him; his favorite. The immense desire to be inside her, to take her fought with his morals. Despite his strong desire, he couldn't budge; he couldn't lower his arm.

Elizabeth whispered softly to his ears, "Father, I love you."

Those words were a sledge hammer to his heart. He didn't know what to say or what to do. He almost cringed from hearing that but his remained stiff as a stone. He still wanted her. With eagerness, Elizabeth placed her hands on the tiles above his shoulders. Eyes locked and hearts dancing, she slowly pushed downward…

..

_Shit… no no… fuck! _He yelled internally as she engulfed him slowly inch by inch. She was so damn tight but so smooth and silky, it brought about a sigh of pleasure from him. Elizabeth was an oasis of ecstasy the he dived head first in. All inhibitions seemed to shatter as he shut his eyes to enthrall in her fantasy. She moaned loudly from his widening entrance. He was large for her, but she loved it. Her tantalizing moans were like music to his ears. He drank of her love like poison. He loved that it burned on the way down. He loved the way he committed moral suicide. Like an intoxicating and deadly drink, he wanted it all. His arms wouldn't respond to his orders, but instead let her slide further.

_Stop this Booker… Stop her._

Thus came the spirit of righteousness crashing into his party. The cursed ring in the back of his mind pounded his head with shame. He scrunched his face and grinded his teeth from the winching thoughts. With great resistance and morals, he stopped her from descending on his erection. She was almost halfway. The interruption caused her to wonder impatiently. He stared into the possessing eyes of Elizabeth. Like staring at Medusa, he was hopelessly hypnotized. Her parted plump lips, her hazy and soft eyes, her wet hair dripping over his body, and her essence reduced his strength to rubble. The water dripping from her body and the steam aided in his breakage. This time, she fell in and enveloped his lips, cutting off all forms of opposition. Again she pushed against the tiles, lowering her body more and more.

Booker loved it but he hated it. _She's still tight… Shit I can feel every inch. _Bit by bit she slid, encasing him in a warm and exotic chrysalis. She was midway down, but fully pleased.

..

Then unexpectedly, his ears caught on to a loud sound from downstairs. It was her telephone ringing loudly. The shrilling chime echoed through the bathroom doors, heightening Booker's awareness and snapping him of his trance. He abruptly broke away from her lips and huffed in rebounded alertness. Elizabeth, surprised and confused, she whispered, "Booker? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. The phone's ringing. I gotta see who's calling." He hastily replied as he tried to remove her from his hold. "No, stay with me. It can wait," she whispered as her lips gingerly pecked his lips. The volume of the phone led him to regrettably set her back down. It was good a chance as any for him to escape and that he did. "It could be important," he muttered as he stepped out of the wash. One could imagine the frustration and confusion Elizabeth felt. Her brows were indicative of exactly that and rightfully so. "Booker… You can't be serious." With quick assertiveness, he replied, "Maybe later darling." His avoiding eyes brought her slight concern as he wrapped a towel around himself while leaving the bathroom.

The phone rang for the last and final time but Booker answered the phone just in time. On the other line was the police. They we're inquiring about the recently jailed Charles and wished for further actions. Booker however, vouched for him and because of his high reputation with the police, they agreed to release the man free of charge. His attention span was shortened from his encounter upstairs. The voice from the receiving end faded away to mumbles and babbles as Booker stared into his reflection. He was walking through a tunnel in his mind. His thoughts drifted toward his lover whom he abruptly departed from. Never has he done such a thing. With a steadily increasing frown, he pierced his own eyes with his stare. His own reflection seemed to frustrate and anger him. With several short blank replies between them and a satisfied answer, he hung up. His gaze into his own soul hadn't budged. _What is wrong on with me?_ He thought as he felt the turmoil tearing him apart inside. _Why can't I love her? _Angered at and disappointed at who he saw, he cursed and drooped his head. "Damn it!" he spat as he shut eyes and shook his head. Seeing Elizabeth would not be a good idea for he presumed that he had upset her.

Meanwhile upstairs, Elizabeth quietly and disappointedly finished her shower. Her liveliness left with Booker when he escaped her embrace. Their soft beautiful fragrant love disappeared with Booker. With a saddened expression she stared into the bathroom mirror. She was beautiful with her dark wet hair stretching down her mid-back. Her small frame, starry eyes, and exotic features were out of this word. No woman in Paris matched her beauty except for Evelyn… _Why he's acting so strange this weekend? Is he interested in Evelyn? _She questioned as she peered into her eyes. Little did she know that they both gazing into mirrors, but for different reasons. She softly caressed her face with her hand, remembering when Booker would do the same several weeks ago. Elizabeth pretended her hand was his as she closed her eyes in remembrance. For the first time in a while, she missed him. His soft yet strong touch was missed dearly. Elizabeth yearned for him to love her and that was all she asked for. _Booker, why have you been so distant? It was only earlier that I felt that you've returned to me. Now you're different again. _Her saddened face was apparent as she opened her eyes, revealing her heart in the refection. _Is it because… I am your daughter? _

Her eyes drooped to the sink that sat below her. She searched for answers all along its designs as she drifted into a train of thoughts. They were in a real predicament now and neither of them knew of an answer or a way out.

The thought of Evelyn transformed her face into a determined and fierce expression. She looked back into the mirror, comparing herself with his old acquaintance. Her brilliant blue starry eyes shimmered alluringly while Evelyn's warm golden hazel eyes sparkled invitingly. She wondered which one Booker preferred. She remembered her light brunette hair in full detail. It was also long but Elizabeth's was longer. Her comparable petite frame yet prominent features forced a scoff from Elizabeth. _Crush… _she mockingly uttered. Her long lashes and sharp brows stood at equal to Evelyn's. At that moment Evelyn was deemed her rival. As silly and childish as it sounded, Elizabeth was set on destroying the bridge built between the two. _Tramp…_ she sneered. _Booker is mine and I'll make sure of it._

..

By the time Booker started up the steps, Elizabeth had already finished her makeup and hair. As Booker walked through the door, he was caught by surprise at Elizabeth's gorgeous demeanor. Like walking into daylight from darkness, he was utterly stunned. Astonished by her beauty, he heightened his brows and dropped his jaw. Her bright red lips drew his eyes as he admired her beauty. Her hair was done gorgeously, resembling a princess. Her dark haired bun purposely hung several strands, beautifully dangling them from her temple and forehead. Her brows, sharp and eyes dark yet blazingly bright. She noticed his presence and seductively tucked the strands behind her ear and tilted her head for a sensual glance at her lover. She was a smooth queen of sexuality. He stood motionless as he delved into her beauty. Speechless, he watched as she slowly approached him. The glorious lady of Paris slyly drifted her fingers across his chin and winked as she walked passed. "Get dressed mon chéri, we have people we must impress."

His eyes followed her figure as she walked, turning his body and head. He couldn't believe how beautiful and she was. With a smile, he muttered a single word, "nice." _That is one snazzy woman, _he thought at he took off his towel to get dressed.

Booker reach for several of his tuxedos but Elizabeth pointed out that she had already picked out their attire for the event. Over on the bed laid their matching garments. "Hm" he grunted as he saw the articles of clothing. "Fancy." Booker and Elizabeth slipped into their best for the night.

..

Elizabeth flashed a pure all white dress with several other garments of blue as a complimentary color. Her sash was silky blue that wrapped around her waist ending in a bow at her lower back. Her white lace gloves stopped at her arm. Blue earrings and jewelry, she had it all. She wasn't going to let her lover slip from her fingers and was sure as hell not going to let Evelyn have him. Her looks were enough to stop beating hearts.

Elizabeth's dress complimented his tuxedo. He had to be the sharpest looking 38 year old looking man in Paris. His matching blue cummerbund locked in their status as taken. Frankly, no one would dare to dress this well. His appearance was altered by the tear but no one knew that. Anyone would guess correctly that they were a couple.

They were a flashy pair, dressed to impress. Their outfits matched each other perfectly. Booker stood proudly in the mirror, adjusting his bowtie. Elizabeth warmly appeared from behind his broad figure and with a quick fix, his bowtie aligned proportionally. With her hand on his shoulder she swung around to his chest and gazed up into Booker's eyes, wearing a sensual smile. He returned with a warm grin, pleasantly showing her his appreciation. With gladness she leaned on his chest and stood to her toes for a kiss. Likewise Booker had no problem doing so and kissed her.

"You look beautiful tonight," he said after their kiss.

"Merci, Mon amour. I love you," she replied with her bedroom eyes.

"About earlier, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I know you still love me."

"Booker… Do you remember your promise to me?" She quietly asked as she rested her head on his chest.

"Of course. I promised you happiness," he replied as he looked into their reflection.

"No. That is an oath you cannot keep. If you were to ever leave, I would die. I would have no more reason to live…"

Booker closed his eyes and withdrew a deep breath. He couldn't formulate words to reply to her. Of course, he thought about his inhibitions and inability to love her fully and unadulterated. His tightened lips were softened and relaxed as he felt her hand cupping his chin. His lids raised from her affection. Soft words came from her lips.

"Whatever happens, stay with me. Be with me. I can't live without you. You promised me that you'll always be mine. That is a promise that means more to me than happiness. As long as you're near, then you are mine. I'll be happy."

Speechless and humbled by her towering love, he kissed her forehead and held her tightly. "I will never leave you Elizabeth. I will always be by your side.

..

* * *

Thanks again for reading. It's funny how the reviews are turning into forums lol. I appreciate it though. It fuels me to write.


	5. One hell of a night Part I

Surprise! Early release of chapter 5 part 1. Thanks to my supporters, I am able to push this out early. According to my standards, I like to provide a lengthy chapter. No one likes short chapters or episodes and then a long wait. Well here it is, please enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Part I**

**One hell of a night**

They sunset blazed the land of Paris as the sun gracefully touched the horizon, beautifying his view. There he stood once again at the window with a gaze into dusk. At this time yesterday, he stood and contemplated. Now he stands yet again contemplating but now with a deadline set in motion. It came quicker than he anticipated. Was he ready? Not at all. He couldn't imagine what was prepared for him at the ball. Tonight's event was going to be big. It was celebration, a recognition of all the valuable people of Paris. Booker received an invite but never bothered to mention it to Elizabeth. His choice was to obviously not attend for due reasons. He was never a man of fancy things anyhow. The attempt was futile for now it is fated that his presence has been determined. Hopefully they won't notice him too much but that would be wishful thinking.

With his forehead resting on the window, he again looked into the distance. There, he stared at the Eiffel Tower just like he did on the day before. With no progress made in his heart, he sighed and flicked his tongue in this mouth and nibbled his lip in thought. No escape. No other alternative. Now he has to face the music. _Shhhit…_ he thought. _This is a nightmare._ With a deep breath he blew out a gust, fogging the window.

Elizabeth's unexpected finger came into view and etched out a half heart from the fog. She had approached him when he was unaware but she was pleasantly welcomed. With his finger, he slowly continued the other half of her heart. Silent and calm, he dragged his finger along however the fog faded before he finished his part, leaving the heart broken… The ill completed heart reflected their love him. It was somehow indicative of his half-hearted dedication. This forced him to shut his eyes in angst. Like he needed another reminder of his life failing part. Will the heart be unbroken? Perhaps on the darkest of days…

"C'mon. Let's go. We wouldn't want to be late to the ball," Elizabeth said as she turned his chin. "Hm. I suppose you got tired of that red ascot. It didn't work with your outfit anyway."

"No I have it here," she said as she lifted up the slit of her dress, revealing it tied over top of her stocking. "You know I always wear the brooch and your cravat." He looked down to see it tied neatly and comfortably. Her attachment to him; it was humbling and honoring. His eyes locked on her B.D. branding. Memories of why he branded himself returned as he reminisced on his painful years without her. She felt responsible for his absence, just like he did. She lived in years of depression, just like he did. Like father like daughter. The way she would wake up every morning to don his old ascot and his brooch brought about an appreciation from the depths of his heart. Her devotion, dedication to him was unmatched, godly even. She might as well worshipped him. He was honored to have her as his lover, his own daughter. Of course, this saddened him as well. She was ready for him, ready for his love. All he had to do was one move. But that one move was monumental. If another way was not found soon then in the bitter end, it will be either him or her. One of their lives would perish.

Booker caressed her face as she was showing him her cravat. She looked up and warmly accepted his affection. He leaned in to kiss her bright red lips. It was amazing how Elizabeth would accept any and all forms of affection regardless of time, place, or situation. His love never got old. Unlike with conventional lovers, it was renewed each day. Not once has she ever grown tired of him. Her arms rested on his shoulders as they kissed beside the window. The blazing orange and red sky compliment and supported relationship as they shared their love.

..

With smiles peacefully traded they headed out of the door. The evening sunset warmly blanketed their view. A conspicuous carriage was parked in front of their house. They shrugged it off and started their walk. The driver of the horse carriage called to the DeWitts before they walked off. "Madam? Sir? Your carriage awaits," he said as he opened the door. With an unexpected horse carriage waiting for them, they wondered in surprise. They didn't ask for transportation. "Excuse me, but we didn't ask for any of this," said Booker.

"But of course, sir. This is courtesy of Lady Bennett," the driver replied politely. Elizabeth frowned as soon as she heard that last name.

"Who?" Booker asked.

"Misseshazel eyes Booker," she added. "I am _not_ going to get into that. I might as well let her take your hand to dance."

"Huh… Nothing beats a ride. We should just hop in. We did a lot of running today. And what is it with you and her eyes?"

"Booker!"

"Elizabeth, c'mon don't be so difficult," he insisted.

"Fine…" She retorted. With displeasure, she entered first then Booker followed afterward. As the driver carefully shut the door Elizabeth folded her arms and pouted her lips. Booker sank comfortably into the seat as he watched the driver getting ready to lead the horses.

Their carriage sported an open top. They had a full 360 degree view of their surroundings. It was a nice addition to their evening which Booker appreciated well. Elizabeth however, not so much. "Off to Taillevent we go," the driver said. With a whip to the horses, they clopped away to their destination.

"How rude. She didn't even have the courtesy to run it by me," Elizabeth muttered.

"Courtesy enough for a ride to the ball. My feet are sore," he replied.

"I don't like her," Elizabeth blatantly stated.

"Hm. It was about time you confessed it."

"Yeah well, she is obviously trying to take you for herself."

"Obviously she has seen us running like maniacs and decided to help. Besides, admit that you'd rather be taken by carriage with me."

"I suppose…" She sighed. "How do people know where we live anyways?"

"I'm Paris's best detective. Anyone can see where we live just by opening a book or reading the news."

"I see," Elizabeth said as she scooted closer to Booker. She was sitting very formally. Her mannerisms were top notch but Booker's needed a little more improvement. He slouched on the seat, scrunching his tuxedo. He showed that he didn't care much for very fancy things as he had his arms resting on the top of the seat. Elizabeth had noticed this and spoke, "Booker, we really got to work on your elegance."

"Hm?" He grunted as he turned his head toward her. With a crooked smile, she responded, "Nevermind, we'll talk about it later." The carriage kept its peaceful pace along the streets of Paris. Elizabeth stared into the sunset as they rode. She appreciated the beautiful colors of the sky. The skies were on fire, blazing with the sun's rays. Clouds attempted escape from its fiery passion but inevitably become consumed by its fierceness. _Beautiful, _she thought while studying the sky. As the carriage made a turn around the corner, their view widened revealing an abundance of clouds and the sunset. They were back at the Siene River again. "I can never get tired of this river," Elizabeth said, breaking the silence.

"It's beautiful. Just like you," Booker added. She turned to him with a warm smile and reached out to hold his hand which was on his lap instead of the seat; perfect opportunity to be touchy.

"Do you remember when I asked you about mother?"

"What of it."

"What was her name? I never hear you talk about her."

"Annabelle. Her name was Annabelle. I named you after her," he quietly spoke, remembering her face. "You look just like her… Sometimes I can't tell you two apart." Booker stared into her glistening eyes. She was intently listening and recorded every detail in her head.

"You must have loved her." Elizabeth muttered quietly as she watched him turn his head to the river.

"Back then before I knew you were my father, I would have loved to meet her. But now that I think about it, I don't want to." He waited as Elizabeth froze in thought, formulating words. "Why is that?" he asked anyway.

"She'd just be another obstacle. I'd prefer no one else loving you but me." Booker rolled his eyes and stared at the citizens as they went about business along the Parisian streets.

"Tell me I'm better than mother," she asked sincerely as she looked into his eyes. Her insecurities were apparent. Booker's indecision, strange acts, and Evelyn raised it to surface level. The question was random. He didn't expect her to assertively ask such a blunt request. She eagerly waited for his response. Booker took a deep breath and smiled, assuring her of the truth. "In every way." Those words were sweet like nectar and touched her heart like painting on an empty canvas. She couldn't help but rest her head on his chest while wearing a heartfelt smile.

"Hey look, there's our bike," she said as she noticed it still crumpled on the curb.

"That will never catch on. Useless inventions these days…" he scoffed.

"We'll be arriving soon," the driver announced.

"Booker, when we get there. I want us to be a couple. I want you to hold me and dance with me,"

Her request added pressure to his already overloaded bearings. He turned his eyes down to Elizabeth and nodded. "Of course." She rubbed his leg as a gesture of gratitude. Her love language is that of touch and something Booker appreciated.

Elizabeth suggested, "Just let me…. I'll introduce us to everyone."

"You don't have to. They'll do it for us…" He spoke with mild angst.

"What do you mean?" she asked. He regrettably informed her of his invite and his choice to neglect it. Elizabeth wondered why he did and he explained his reason as well.

"Booker" she groaned.

"I just never cared to go. The all-day ball is a big dedication to all the important people of Paris. I'm one of them so we'll get noticed."

"Well that just makes it easier for us," Elizabeth added. "All of the important people in Paris huh? Everyone will definitely know the love we have for each other. I'm excited. It's been a while since I've danced with you."

"Can't wait," he sarcastically replied as he feared people discovering his illicit relationship.

The carriage pulled up the front of Taillevent. Decorations have been set beautifully. Lights where adorned everywhere. It seems that at night is when the main event starts. People gathered around the entrance waiting to get in. They arrived just in time. The carriage stopped precisely at the red carpet. There were literally dozens of guests that awaited entrance. The DeWitts however were esteemed guests. Booker looked over the door to see the newly laid decoration. "They didn't have this rug here earlier." He speculated. _Hm, let's just get this over with. I'm gonna need a drink._ The driver pulled open the door, and bowed, dazzling their entrance. "Booker… are we," she gasped. "Are we honored guests?"

"That we are. After you Liz," he said hinting her to exit. "Booker this is going to be fantastic! I've never been so important before!" She excitedly said as she carefully stepped out of the carriage. Instantly people's eyes locked on to the woman in the dazzling white and blue dress. Cameras flashed as the reporters took pictures of her. She was greatly flattered. The crowd of journalist, reports, and guests muttered about, wondering who she was. Her delightful smile increased more picture taking as she stood at the door of the carriage. She was new to it all and had never been center of attention.

"Elizabeth, I can't get out."

"Oh! I'm sorry," she replied as she stepped to the side and waved at the guests and reporters. Booker finally stepped out and straightened his tux. Suddenly the crowd's muttering roared. "Is that Booker, DeWitt?!" a random reporter shouted. "It's Booker DeWitt with his lovely elusive wife!" another one shouted. Many others repeated his name and the cameras went wild. The guests immediately reach out from their hands from the velvet stanchions. "I can tell you're new to this. Here's where we start walking."

They locked arms and walked down the red carpet toward the entrance. Elizabeth bearing a grin, reached out to shake hands with many of the guests as they passed. Booker did likewise. "Booker. Are we celebrities?"

"Pretty much," he replied. "They think I'm your wife," she added. "This is great Booker!"

"Hm." He retort as he continued waving to the crowd.

Flashes continued as cameras aimed at them. They definitely did the job of impressing the folks. After they entered through the fancy revolving doors, they were greeted by a restaurant attendant offering a drink and to carry their belongings. They both took the offer of the drink but Booker declined relinquishing his jacket. Elizabeth's confidence along with her determination was heightened when she saw the restaurant reservation employee waiting for them behind a podium. There was a list that sat before him. Only those on the list may enter. When they approached the podium. The employee immediately bowed his head and offered entrance. Little did they know that he checked off the name of the DeWitts when he saw them. "Bienvenue à Taillevent. Your reserved seats are this way," he said as another restaurant employee opened the velvet stanchion allowing them entrance. The entrance attendant looked to his right and spoke to his apprentice, "Mr. Fournier, please inform them that the DeWitts are here." The other employee quickly walked off. The entrance attendant that offered them drinks politely asked the DeWitts to follow. Booker took a sip of his wine and walked onwards with Elizabeth. Her face was bright as the elegant lights that lit the restaurant. She was enjoying every last second. It seems that every honored guest receives a dedicated attendant. It was a great benefit only fit for the upper class. They also led them to their seats. As they walked, Elizabeth turned her head toward the other room and asked, "Aren't we going in there?" she asked the attendant. "Je suis désolé, that is for the day time and not for esteemed guests such as yourself. S'il vous plait, this way." He politely spoke and led the way. As Booker and Elizabeth walked further in, they were led to a grand and elaborate ballroom. The ceiling was high, decorated with paintings and complimented with chandeliers. It was quite spacious and perfectly lit, not too bright and not too dim. Gold painted carvings lined the edges of the room and pillars stood around the outer edges of the ball room, separating the tables and the dance floor. Their table was in the reserved section, elevated and fancier than the rest. It was right beside the stage. Many people had filled the tables already, even the reserved tables. There was much chatter between the people. The ceremony will soon start. They were one of the last ones to arrive. Food was already on the table. It appeared to be appetizers of some sort. The DeWitts couldn't tell from their position.

Elizabeth whispered to Booker, "Just play along. I'll do all the work."

"I'm following your lead darling," he replied indifferently. He obviously did not want to be there. The disdain and fear of final approaching doom rendered him unpleasantly aloof. She on the other hand was gleeful and joyous. This was a new experience for her but she most of all, she was exuberant for the revealing of their relationship. "Booker, I thought this will be just a small dance. I didn't imagine it'd be this grand with so many important people. Now all of Paris will know of us!"

"…Fantastic," he sarcastically added while sipping his drink.

The attendant led them to the on to the stage. The master of ceremonies bowed his head when they approached. The attendant also bowed his head and proceeded to their reserved table, waiting for them. "Monsieur DeWitt! I am honored you came," said the MC. "Now who is this lovely lady beside you that I may introduce to guests?" He asked. Booker proceeded to sip his wine rather than answer. There was an awkward silence. Elizabeth looked to booker whom was busy enjoying his decadent wine. Elizabeth decided to answer for him. "Bonsoir mon nom est Elizabeth."

"Ah! Bonsoir, uh… mademoiselle Elizabeth?"

"Oui. I'm not married, not yet. He is my fiancé." she replied.

"I see. Very well. It is quite strange for the woman to introduce herself rather than her fiancé." The MC proceeded to the loudspeaker to introduce them._ Shit, here goes nothing, _Booker thought.

"Attention ladies, gentlemen, and honored citizens of Paris. Please welcome our esteemed guests: Booker and Elizabeth DeWitt. The lovely couple are happily engaged and have decided to join us today this evening." The audience stood to their feet and clapped as well as the VIPs. Elizabeth's smile was wide and bright but also beautiful. With her arms still locked in his, she squeezed his hand in happiness and waved her other hand. This was the moment, the day she had been waiting for. Booker wore a sleepy smile reflecting his halfway attendance. _Alright, Booker. Just play along to whatever Elizabeth says and it'll be fine, _he thought as he waved to the guests. The card placed on their table beckoned their presence. 'DeWitt' was proudly labeled in gold. Their dedicated attendant pleasantly motioned his hand, hinting them to walk to their table right beside the stage.

"I don't see Evelyn. Her seat is empty. Too bad she's not here to hear the announcement." Elizabeth said.

As they walked across the stage, guests smiled politely at them. Gentlemen tipped their heads at Elizabeth. Women fanned themselves as they admired Booker's handsomeness. Booker tipped his head in politeness and courtesy to women. "Mr. DeWitt, it's a pleasure!" said a nearby guest. "Bonsoir mademoiselle Elizabeth" said another guest.

As they stepped off the stage and drew near to their table, an esteemed guest approached them for a greeting.

"Ah! Hello my name Chief Inspector Clouseau of the police force here in Paris. Please excuse me. My English is not the best. I heard that there is a private detective whom contributed to much of the arrests and peace here in Paris. Would you be that person?" With acknowledgement, Booker nodded his head. Clouseau was glad to see that he was talking to the right person. "My apologies, I did not hear your name correctly. May I ask for it again?"

Booker smiled but no words escaped his mouth. He slowly shook his head and raised his shoulders in a shrugging manner, implying that he doesn't know his own name. Incredibly confused, Clouseau raised a brow. Awkward silence prevailed over them yet again. Booker started to look in a different direction while scratching his chin. Elizabeth widened her eyes at his strange behavior. She looked at him and stared. _What is he doing? Why is he being so odd?_

With a quick mind, she introduced them. "Hello, and yes. This would be Booker DeWitt. I am his Fiancé, Elizabeth."

The Chief Inspector smiled and nodded his head toward them. "I am glad we've met. I heard great things about you. Mr. DeWitt come to my table for a chat later tonight. I want to discuss with you potential opportunities in the police force."

Booker smiled and nodded again. Clouseau walked away and furrowed his brows in ridiculous confusion. They headed over to their table to sit down.

"Booker what are doing? Why are you being strange?"

"You said play along."

"You can at least introduce yourself," she replied as they sat down on the overly fancy chairs. She was expecting a reply but got another shoulder shrug as a response.

"Booker stop it."

"Fine. So do you want me to do all of the introductions?" He asked.

"No, I'll do that. Just play along and please try to be normal," she said as she raised her brows.

Booker hastily finished his wine and reached for another glass already set on the table. "This party is too fancy for my taste."

"Oh Booker, it's not that bad. You might want to slow down on the drinks there. They haven't even started yet."

"God knows I need the drinks. Can't pass up some good wine."

The master of ceremonies stood to the loudspeaker once again. Elizabeth noticed and pointed it out to Booker. She wondered who he was going to introduce next._ Maybe Evelyn?_ She thought in displeasure. "Booker look."

He took a bite of the Mini Tartes Flambées and looked up to see who the MC was going to announce next. Elizabeth's face turned apathetic as she noticed Evelyn came into view. Her eyes squinted with disdain against her and her brows were obviously unwelcoming. "There she is…" Elizabeth muttered her name with contempt. Booker uttered nothing as he looked up to see her. His eyes zoomed in on Evelyn. Quietly he watched as she approached the stage. Elizabeth looked over to Booker whom had an indifferent face. She couldn't tell what he was feeling or thinking. Her eyes dropped involuntarily to his shirt as she wondered what he thought of Evelyn.

"Good evening again ladies and gentlemen and of course our highly esteemed patrons. Here is the last but not least of all our honored: Evelyn Bennett! She is kin to King George the 5th of England and daughter of the Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel and the late Andre Antonio Bennett. Please welcome our latest addition to tonight's gathering. This concludes our lists of attendees tonight. We shall begin ceremonies momentarily. Please enjoy our finest caviar while you wait." The entire assembly of guests and VIPs stood to their feet to clap.

"Hm, talk about fancy and high class," Booker commented.

"I wear her mother's perfumes. I didn't know she was this wealthy."

Everybody except Elizabeth stood to her feet to clap. Instead she folded her arms and watched with displeasure. Evelyn received the same star welcoming the DeWitts did. She was short of nothing due. It was strange that someone of her stature wasn't accompanied by man or family. What was annoying to Elizabeth was how Evelyn scanned the area looking for someone. Elizabeth knew exactly what she was doing and why; she was going to put an end to that. She was not simply going inform Evelyn of their relationship, she wanted her to know that Booker would never be in reach. Elizabeth wanted her to be heart broken and her hopes and dreams shattered. Just like with Booker DeWitt from rapture, she wanted to make sure, she got the point across. A plan was set forth in motion at that moment.

Booker sat down with the rest of the audience. Evelyn had finally spotted Booker and shined with a bright and warm smile. Interestingly, she began walking over to their table rather than hers. Booker sported a light smile as they made eye contact.

Her dress was golden with touches of silver, highlighting her hazel eyes and auburn streaks. It sparkled glamorously as the light reflected off of it. Beautiful and alluring, her dress rivaled her counterpart, Elizabeth. Her hair hung freely rather than being tightly spun in a bun. It was quite improper but her stature and reputation overshadowed it. She must have wanted to impress Booker. The two most exotic looking women were now both in Taillevent competing for Booker. He knew of this and being a man, it fueled his masculinity. Any man loves attention from women and Booker got it from the best of the best. A heated competition was about in start and Elizabeth would be the one to initiate.

One thing he appreciated about Evelyn was that she wasn't related to him, not even close. Also her eyes. Something about those eyes and that figure. Being more prominent than Elizabeth had his attention as well. Her features did not go unnoticed by Booker. She was a stellar woman. Even Booker could admit to that. Her intentions were unknown to him but to Elizabeth, she had her all figured out.

Elizabeth's piercing gaze brought about a word from Booker. "Elizabeth, be nice." He said in a calm manner before she arrived at their table. She had set Evelyn on fire with those burning eyes and she had imagined just that. His voice snapped her out of her evil thoughts. Hesitantly, she fixed her expression as the lady of the night approached them.

Gleefully she spoke with a slight English accent that Booker had forgotten about. The story of her accent was that of a strange one.

"Booker I'm so glad you came!" She said as she sat at their table. Booker smiled in return and spoke accordingly, "Glad I could make it."

"I hope you had a pleasant arrival," she implied. Her happiness was obvious.

"It was great. All thanks to you miss." She started to slightly blush. During the entirety of their greeting Elizabeth was analyzing and studying. Like the vindictive scholar she was, she examined her personality. She was looking for vulnerable spot in the over-the-top sweetness of hers. Evelyn may be cute but she wasn't stupid. She knew of how Elizabeth felt. Women intrinsically know when there is competition and rivalry. Therefore Evelyn completely ignored Elizabeth, skipping her greeting.

"Please, call me Evelyn," she charmingly responded. Elizabeth rolled her eyes and almost scoffed.

Elizabeth's body was burning hot. Her aura of inferno almost singed the hairs on Bookers head. He felt her fiery heat and turned his head to her and spoke with politeness, "Elizabeth, you should say hi."

"Evelyn…" Elizabeth greeted half-heartily.

"Elizabeth," Evelyn replied emptily as she gave her a quick glance.

There was now awkward silence. That was the third time that night.

"…Your dress is beautiful. I… like it."

"I like my dress too," Elizabeth coldly replied. According to common courtesy she was supposed to compliment Evelyn's dress. Elizabeth completely ignored that despite her being a lady of elegance. Booker looked back and forth between Elizabeth and Evelyn as they fought with their eyes. He wanted to interrupt and create a situation of peace and cheerfulness. With the wine glass in his hand, he spoke through the silent air, "So, Evelyn. The wine tonight is…" Unexpectedly he felt his toes flatten before he finished his sentence. With a light flinch he cleared his throat and instead, decided to sip his wine and mind his own business. _Right Elizabeth. Play along. Got it._

"I'm sorry Booker, were you saying something?" Evelyn gladly asked as she looked at him. He however, shrugged his shoulders and enjoyed his wine. Elizabeth smiled at his cooperation and with confidence and a plan, she spoke, "So Evelyn. How long have you known Booker?"

"Well…" Evelyn said as she readjusted her posture and seating. "I've met him when I was 15. You can call it an adolescent crush but I guess you can say, I liked him. He was 25 at the time and obviously nothing could ever happen between us. He ignored me most of the time. I moved to Chicago and well, that's it. He was… awfully quiet. Not like how is now: Handsome and charming." Elizabeth started to tap her fingers when those words hit her. She didn't know how many more compliments of she could take before she would explode.

"And how long have you known him?" Evelyn challenged her. Elizabeth squinted her eyes and replied with annoyance, "Long enough."

Evelyn did not want to converse with Elizabeth any longer and turned to Booker, "So Booker how are things. How have you been all these years? Has anything exciting happened?"

"He's doing well and he's been fine these past years. He's happier than he's ever been. He has a beautiful daughter named Anna. I've met her. He loves her more than the world," Elizabeth answered for him.

Evelyn glanced at Elizabeth with slight irritation. "Pardon me but I was talking to Booker." Again she looked his way and asked, "I didn't know you have a daughter! I'd love to meet her." Booker kept his smile from turning into all out laughter. If only she had known the truth that laid before her eyes.

"Misses Bennett. I see that a woman of high stature like yourself should more or less, engage in relationships with higher class men. You don't seem like the type to stick with low-lives."

Booker raised a brow at her for a second and proceeded to stare off into the distance and wave at other guests.

"Excuse me? If you're implying that I am superficial and only go for men of upper class men, well that is just rude.

Elizabeth replied but with a different angle, "Mr. DeWitt here is not that great of a person. He's terrible and have done many horrible things. He's despicable." Booker looked over to Elizabeth, wondering what the hell she was doing. Evelyn dropped her jaw in disbelief. Seconds of silence passed as she processed that information. "I don't believe you. Booker is an outstanding man who would never do anything wrong. He is Paris's best detective. And for your information Elizabeth, I am not interested in…"

"It's painfully obvious why you're here Misses Bennett," she interrupted as she grabbed her glass of wine. "You are interested in Mr. DeWitt, am I right?" She was just like her father, straight to the point and cut throat. Booker saw that she was being aggressively rude and leaned forward to formulate words. She was too off-putting and Booker wanted to fix them both. But when he leaned forward to speak his toes randomly flattened again. He instantly took a sharp and deep breath as he slowly leaned back on his chair while wearing a pained smile. "Waiter" he called. "Another glass please. And make it strong."

"And just who are you Elizabeth? What are you to him?" She asked brashly. Just as soon as Elizabeth opened her mouth to answer, a familiar voice called out. "Mr. DeWitt. Apologies for my lateness. I did not know that you were attending."

They looked over to the person that quickly approached their table. _Jesus, not him again… _Booker thought as he rubbed his face. Elizabeth groaned when she saw Charles stepping near. The situation could not possible get worse. Elizabeth leaned over to whisper to Booker, "The nerve of him to show up after everything he did. He is an embarrassment Booker." Booker nodded his head in agreement. He didn't want to explain everything that happened and how it happened. The vial: How was he going to explain that to Charles, to Elizabeth for that matter. Charles dressed appropriately. It was proper and fitting since he ran around naked several hours ago. As he stood at the chair, he asked, "May I join?" Booker and Elizabeth glanced at each other and traded annoyed expressions. "Please," Elizabeth answered.

"Splendid!" he excitedly side as he sat down. Booker whispered to Elizabeth as he held his hand out in confused manner, "You must be joking."

"No. I want him to know our relationship as well."

_Shit! This is not going to be good, _Booker thought as he held out his wine glass for a refill from the waiter. "You know what? Just hand me the bottle," he said as the waiter was pouring his drink. He handed him the bottle of strong wine and retreated to the background and waited for further orders. _I'm going to need this…_

"You must be… Are you not the person who took an infant and climbed the Eiffel Tower today? Evelyn asked. Charles nervously chuckled and stared at his empty plate. "Why yes. That was regrettably me."

"Why would you do such a horrendous thing?" Evelyn asked. "I do believe I was under the influence of something rather nasty. Which is why I wanted to apologize to my dear Elizabeth." She was already annoyed as is. Seeing Charles made things uncomfortably worse. "I am not _yours_ Mr. Trénet," Elizabeth corrected. He gladly accepted her correction and humbly replied, "Still I offer my sincerest apologies for my incredibly indecent behavior and nudity."

"It's alright…" Elizabeth muttered before she took a sip of her wine. "There wasn't much to see anyways."

Like a wave had crashed into the table, the entire table stood silent in complete shock. The spirit of awkwardness was powerful that night. Booker stared at his daughter's extremely uncalled for comment. Likewise, Evelyn's jaw dropped from Elizabeth's incredibly outrageous words. She had gone overboard. Booker started to chuckle as he buried his face with his palm, breaking the silence. _This night is going to be one hell of a night…_ he thought. With her eyes locked on to Charles, Elizabeth raised a brow as she sipped her wine. Trénet stunned by disbelief and embarrassment, scoffed as he shook his head at Elizabeth. He glanced at Evelyn whom hopped her brows and looked away while taking a sip of her wine. Trénet licked the inside of his bottom lip and shook his head again. Booker had to do something for he felt a bad for his collogue. "Evelyn this is Charles. And just like me, he is also a private detective. His talent outshines mine," Booker said as he looked at Charles and sent a wink." Trénet nodded his head at Booker, thanking him. He was blown away, completely disgraced in public. He turned quiet as he sunk into his chair.

"One has to shine somewhere," Elizabeth muttered as she sipped the remaining wine in her glass. Booker shook his head from her offensiveness as he resisted laughter that waited to spew out. He reached for the bottle of wine to pour himself yet another glass. The waiter did not finish filling his cup and he already finished his second fill.

"Would you please pour me some, honey?" Elizabeth sweetly asked as she held out her glass like a dame. Her eyes dug into Evelyn's soul as she stared. Booker glanced at her and lightly pursed his lips as he poured. _Shit… here we go._ Charles recoiled his head and furrowed his brows in confusion. "Honey?" he whispered as he analyzed her words. He looked at Elizabeth but she was busy staring Evelyn down. His eyes scanned the corners of his view as he remembered that she was introduced as his daughter. He blinked several times and held out his hand and muttered broken sentences, "Aren't you… Isn't she… But I thought…" Booker rapidly shook his head at Charles with his eyes widened, motioning him not to discuss it. Charles confused as hell, blinked and tipped his head at Booker. Elizabeth swung eyes over to her father and squinted as he pretended to crack his neck.

Evelyn spoke out, "So is that right? I should have known. But I don't see any ring on your finger so means he's still mine to take."

"Only I am fit for him Misses Bennett. You won't want him after you know everything I know."

"Try me."

With the challenge accepted, she confidently fought with her words. "As you already know he is horrible man, but did you know what he is also incapable?"

"Incapable…" Evelyn said as she squinted her eyes. "Well, I never did liked children much anyway," she defended.

Booker looked to the corner of his eye and sipped his wine, _God this night is getting worse and worse._

"He also broke his leg."

"Once," Booker interjected

"Twice… In the same manner."

"Hm. I didn't know I broke my leg twice," Booker said as he stared into the wine that slid into his mouth.

"It can be traumatizing, sweetie. That's must have been why you've forgotten.

"Uh huh." He mumbled as he set his glass down and didn't bother to try anymore. He never broke his leg but the direction Elizabeth was going was too obvious. He couldn't stop her if he tried.

"A man like that is almost useless with hard labor. So what good is he if he is a terrible man, that can't work hard or give you children?"

_Right, make me look bad... That's a great idea, B_ooker sarcastically thought as he stared off elsewhere.

Evelyn's pleasant face she carried when she first arrived disappeared to thin air and was replaced with a grimace. She glared at Elizabeth whom was determined to turn her way from Booker but she wasn't going to give up that easily. She wanted Booker no matter the cost. "I've had worse dear," she said as she threw a fake smile at Elizabeth.

"Ah, Why hello there!" Suddenly another familiar voice entered Booker's ears. _What? Is that?_ He turned to realize that it was the shopkeeper from the store he visited. With wine in hand and decked out in a sharp tuxedo, he stood behind an empty seat between Booker and Charles.

"Mr. DeWitt. Pleasant seeing you here. Mind if I join?"

"What? How did you… no, no absolutely not. Hey that thing you gave me, didn't work!" Booker said harshly. _This is getting out of control. What the hell is he doing here?_

"You didn't take it now did you?" He replied smoothly with a smile.

"No! But what the hell did you put in that thing?"

"Booker, what's going on? Who is he?" Elizabeth asked calmly. Booker opened his mouth but words failed to exit. _Shhhit…_ he shook his head and looked to the shopkeeper, "Nevermind. Just… have a seat." Booker hesitated as that invite escaped his mouth.

Evelyn's eyes were still aimed at Elizabeth. She hasn't budged from her position and her determination was still hot to the core. "I still don't think he's that repulsive," she said as she raised her brows at Elizabeth, taunting her.

At this point Elizabeth was almost angry and was willing to say anything. At this stage is where her recklessness resides. She'd do anything to make sure their bridge was burned to ashes. Her options were shrinking along with her plan. With contempt Elizabeth replied, "Booker prefers men over women and has pleasured multiple men."

Again, the table was smashed with complete silence. Booker choked on this wine the moment he heard those ridiculous words. Booker, widened eyes and frowned lips slowly turned his head to his lover in total outrage. The clerk froze mid descent to his seat and stared at Elizabeth and Booker. Trénet along with Evelyn leaned their heads back in complete and utter shock. This was the worst night he's ever encountered. Elizabeth folded her arms in a returning taunt and smiled deviously.

The shop keeper raised his brows and sipped his wine, "…Touché," he said as he plopped his rear end down on the chair.

"Those were accidents!" Booker quickly said, trying to redeem himself. Her fiery gaze was unrelenting. She didn't bother to glance at Booker one bit and instead stepped on his toes again.

"Do you see? Only I can love a man that that."

"Elizabeth would you cut that out? It's starting to hurt," Booker whispered through his grinded teeth as he leaned closer his daughter. Evelynn wore a disgruntled and completely disheartened frown. It seems that the fight was almost won by Elizabeth's last comment. She raised a brow, challenging her next move.

Trénet glanced at the clerk and confusingly muttered, "Accident?" The clerk shrugged his shoulders in reply.

"Guys, I have no memories of them all. You know the crazy things you do when you're drunk," Booker said as he tried to fix his manhood.

"Sober." Elizabeth corrected.

"Drunk"

"Sober"

"Highly drunk."

"Completely sober." She said without turning her glare from Evelyn. She was hell-bent on winning.

Trénet decided to speak and interrupt, "Excuse me. I don't mean to interrupt but this has been bothering me. Elizabeth… Aren't you his…"

"Hello again patrons of the magnificent city of Paris! I hope you are enjoying the refreshments and appetizers so far. The caviar is now on its way to your table. Let's start out night off with a bit of dancing shall we? Dinner shall be served shortly after the caviar. Then we shall proceed with our commendations of our highly recognized citizens. Please, do enjoy."

Booker was relieved to have the MC speak just in time. He was ill prepared for hell breaking loose. Music started to play through the phonographs. The song: A good man is hard to find by Marion Harris. It was a good distraction and he was glad for it. _That was close,_ he thought. _Damn Charles and that clerk. Gonna have to have a chat with both of them later. Especially the shop guy. And what the hell is Elizabeth doing? _

Elizabeth confidently stood to her feet and held out her hand. She warmly looked to her lover and lovingly asked, "Mon amour, come dance with me."With a crooked smile, he set his glass down and stood to his feet. "Excuse me," he said pleasantly. It was a chance to get away from the table for the time being.

Evelyn scowled at Elizabeth as they walked to the center to dance. She huffed in a womanly fashion and through her tone was the sound of defeat. Was Evelyn through? Most likely not. Hand in hand, Elizabeth led Booker to the center. First ones there and all eyes on them, they joined in a beautiful stance, holding each other romantically close. Booker rarely danced but there were exceptions like these. Her eyes will filled with pride and confidence as she looked into the eyes of her lover. She felt like she won a billion euros; the feeling of winning Booker.

..

..

At their table was the freshly set caviar. Evelyn didn't bother for a look; her eyes were on Booker and Elizabeth as they held at each other. Charles was already enjoying his portion until he was asked a strange question.

..

With a sly voice, the clerk proposed a question, "Do tell… How was that cup of tea? I heard it was quite invigorating."

* * *

To my faithful fans who favorite or follow my stories but never say anything, you rock! To my faithful fans who can't/don't follow or favorite but say a lot, you equally rock!


	6. One Hell of a Night Part II

You can skip this part. This is all information. Changed the rating to R. For those of you who are wondering where they lived. They lived near the Norte Dame cathedral. Also if you want to get a reference of what Evelyn looks like, Google Jennifer Lawrence in the movie American Hustle poster; just with darker hair and different set of eyes. You catch my drift. Or stick with your imagination, whichever one you like. This chapter was particularly hard but I hope it turns out well.

* * *

**Chapter 6 **

**Part II**

**One Hell of a Night**

Pleasant sounds of music prepared their dance. Lights dimmed around the border of the center, darkening the tables, setting the stage. Their shadows depicted silhouettes of lovers across the floor. They stood as one, hand in hand and hands on bodies. With Elizabeth gladly following her lover's lead, she took a step after his. Slow and smooth, their melodic dance beckoned the attention of the people. Enlightened and interested, they watched as the lovers slowly and rhythmically performed their waltz. Faces of dissonance reflected off of their eyes as they peered into each other. Cold, calculating, and confident, Elizabeth smiled in success as she beamed her proudness into his soul. Ill receiving of the message, Booker slightly squinted as he felt her silently celebrated her success. She was proud, he wasn't. She wore the stamp of gratification but Booker's was a badge of displeasure. Not too happy about the entire stunt she pulled, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Why did you do that?" He asked as they stepped along to the rhythm. A question of slight disagreement raised her brow. "Why did I do what?" She replied wondering why he wasn't in sync with her mood. His message of silence went further than words could achieve. She perceived a drop of disapproval but received a pouring instead. She averted her gaze as she understood his displeasure. He reinforced his message by speaking once more. Sentences turned into a conversation as they traded responses.

"You shouldn't have told all those lies."

"...Just like you lied about taking me to Paris?" she retorted, returning her gaze at him. "Elizabeth…" he immediately responded as he tried straightening her malcontent. She answered with determination in her spirit, "I will not lose you to some royal tramp. We know what she wants. I can't let her do that." Elizabeth's desperation shown through her eyes, making contact with his heart. Her expression of discontentment of the circumstances were apparent. In understanding, Booker reassured her of her position as the apple of his eye, the only one with the key to his heart. "She won't. Don't worry." Booker replied. A sigh of slight relief escaped her lungs but she wasn't sure whether to finally relax or to remain ever watchful of Evelyn.

"Is this how you were in Rapture? I've never seen you like this."

Elizabeth paused before she answered, "Sort of. I wanted blood. But I've learned my lesson."

"Can't imagine you much worse than this."

"Trust me. I could get worse. It's not pretty," she replied remorsefully. With an eye on Elizabeth's heart, Booker listened intently as she spoke.

"Well if you wanted to make me look bad, you did the job."

With regret she answered, "I'm sorry. I just didn't want any chances of losing you again."

"Elizabeth, that's not going to happen."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," replied Booker.

With pleasant smiles traded between each other, he added, "You're stubborn and strong, nothing like your mother. I doubt you'll let it happen if it did."

"You can thank my father for that," she replied with a tiny grin. Booker chuckled at her humor.

Other guests followed in their lead and joined them in a dance. One couple after another, eventually the majority of the invitees were enjoying themselves at the center. Elizabeth and Booker twirled around, adding to the theme of the night. It had been months since they've danced. An opportunity that she took with gratitude. Her hand that was on his back found its way to his neck. Her fancy white silk gloves added softness to her feminine touch. Her smile was delightfully attractive. The moment required that they kiss and she planned just that. As she leaned in closer to him, he whispered, "I thought I preferred men." A cute snicker entertained his ears as he looked at her. "Well I suppose I changed your preference," she said before she kissed her lover. Happy and at peace, they danced to the music with their love in their arms. Elizabeth quickly glanced over to their table looking for Evelyn. With an empty seat, she turned her attention back to her partner and commented, "Looks like she left." Booker nodded without turning to catch a confirming glimpse. His gaze was unbroken.

Suddenly the loud speaker abruptly added static to the music that occupied the air. The DeWitts looked over to stage to view who was going to speak.

There stood the lady of the night in her golden dress. With a new confident look, she proudly spoke. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I just wanted to briefly announce something wonderful tonight."

Again, with contempt Elizabeth frowned as she looked upon her overly proud stature. Her persistence was made clear that night, frustrating Elizabeth further. The dancing crowd including them stopped to listen to her speech. It was unexpected but gladly welcomed by the guests.

"Several years ago I was trapped in a horrid place with no future. I was perpetually examined and tossed around like a rag doll. A horrible man kept me prisoner for, unimaginable reasons. I didn't know any better and thought that was all life had to offer."

Elizabeth sneered at her words, "How unoriginal…"

"I was in ruins like a damsel in distress. But then came a wonderful man that saved me. He saved me from that dreadful place, freeing me from my prison. That man rescued me from the clutches of that spiteful and despicable monster and sent justice to the evil person, ending his life. And just as quickly as he came, he left. I sought after him for months but to no avail."

Then, with Evelyn's eyes aimed directly at Booker she spoke again, "In all my months of searching, I've finally found him. He is here tonight and that amazing man is no other than Booker DeWitt." Her arm stretched toward his position signaling an applause. The audience astonished and in awe, immediately clapped for Booker.

Elizabeth being insightful and bright, caught wind of her story. "Hey, wait a minute that sounds like…"

"Our story? Yeah. Something's not right," he added as he scrunched his brows.

The crowd around them applauded him for his great deed. Elizabeth still carried a frown as she looked around to the guests. "I would like to ask nothing but a dance from this wonderful man tonight," said Evelyn.

"What?!" Elizabeth scoffed as her anger rose. The crowd slowly began to cheer and encourage Booker to dance with Evelyn. He looked around and took a deep breath, readying for his next move. Elizabeth looked to him and shook her head. Her expression was hot with frustration and pending hurt. She couldn't bear to see her lover in her enemy's arms. Her sincere eyes pleaded with him. She whispered, "Booker, no, please don't…" as she tightly gripped his hand. He reluctantly denied her request as he looked into her eyes. "It's alright Liz. This is a chance for me to ask how she knows of our story. I won't take long." The crowd continued cheering "A dance! A dance!" With eyes now locked onto Evelyn, he slowly departed from Elizabeth. She desperately held unto his hand as he slowly walked away, not letting go until her arms were stretched. Her eyes were widened from disbelief as she witnessed him slowly leaving her. Saddened and disheartened, she watched as her lover walked toward Evelyn. She froze, lips parted in denial and arm outstretched, reaching for his distant hand.

The crowd constructed a narrow path as they scooted out of the way for him. With shoulders still touching the surrounding people, he squeezed onwards. With each step he took, he slowly closed the gap between Evelyn and him. He looked back to Elizabeth only to see her half heartbroken face. Booker shut his eyes and returned his head forward, thinking nothing about how she would be feeling. He shrugged off the thought as he walked onwards. The thought of hurting Elizabeth made him want to reconsider his choice but it was too late. Unexpectedly he felt a hand holding his arm and turned to see it was the clerk that gave him his samples. With eyes locked onto each other, the clerk spoke with solemnity, "Careful DeWitt. This one will take you where you don't want to go."

..

With a grimace, he shrugged his arm continued his path. Elizabeth watched with disdain as her lover walked up the steps and approached Evelyn. She tightened her fist and grinded her teeth as they joined hands. All eyes were glued onto Booker and Evelyn as held each other's hand and waited for the next song. The crowd grew silent. Static of the phonographs hopped through the air. Then a song a followed, as did their footsteps. Secret Love by Doris Day echoed through the halls of Taillevent.

_That song I recognize it… Cohen asked me to sing this but instead I sang a different one. This was in 1958, but how? _Elizabeth wondered as she watched them slowly dance. The crowd muttered and whispered as they watched their dance turn more exotic. Elizabeth was increasingly angry. She wanted to cease their dance somehow. She stuffed her thoughts of the strange anomalies and focused on the burning image before her eyes. Each step they took to the rhythm of the music was salt and vinegar to a wound. Elizabeth deserved and belonged with Booker dancing to that song. She couldn't bear to see it progress any further.

Booker looked into Evelyn eyes with a piercing stare. Not the loveliest of expressions but being lovely wasn't his focus. "That story, where did you get it from?" Booker asked. "You're going to have to work for that one," she replied with a smile as she leaned in closer to his body. He was wary of her actions but couldn't help his admiration of her beauty. "Is that why you called me up here? To dance?" he asked. "No, I want something more. Your lover has made it bloody obvious so I might as well tell you." He raised his brow in suspicion and waited for her punchline.

"I want you…"

It secretly excited him. He felt his body agree. Butterflies and all, he felt his heart approve. The presence of morality was absent. He felt the excitement of a new relationship, someone new that was interested in him; and she was a stunningly gorgeous. Seconds after he experienced the new feelings, he removed his gaze from her lovely expression in search of Elizabeth. The audience remained still and watched as they danced. It made it easier since nobody was moving but he couldn't locate her.

"Booker," she beckoned his attention.

"I don't know what to make of you Evelyn," he said as he turned his eyes to her only to find her leaning in to his ear, "I know your little secret," she whispered. As she retracted to see his scurried and confused expression. He scrunched his brows and squinted his eyes. "Look, I don't know what you're…"

"Kiss me I'll tell you everything. Show the audience tonight that you and I are meant to be. It's okay, I'll keep your secret between us. You don't want all of Paris to know, now do you? Elizabeth will tell everyone. You don't want that."

For a second, Booker fought with the offer. He considered it and it actually seemed like a good idea. He dreaded people discovering his relationship. This was a new opportunity and an escape. He hated that he liked the idea. His morality was nowhere to be found. He was left with himself defending his lover's heart. His mind was too foggy with stress and anxiety to think clearly. _This girl is promising me a way out, and I think I'm desperate enough to believe her. Maybe I'm already buried 6 feet under and I just don't know it yet._

With an effort to defend his love he spoke, "They already know that I'm engaged to Elizabeth. And I'm not going to kiss you, Evelyn. I love her," he responded sternly.

"…Do you really?" she asked cunningly. Booker remained silent for he remembered his inability to love Elizabeth completely without any reluctance. His eyes dropped down to her neck. He started to think about Elizabeth. She should have been where Evelyn stood. He drifted on a trail of thoughts. Evelyn's neck reminded him of Elizabeth's, the one which he kissed passionately. The thought of Evelyn shot through his mind, dirty thoughts. For a second he wondered how she'd taste with him on top of her, penetrating her. It felt good, damn good that she wasn't related to him. He shook his head in attempt to physically rattle the unnecessary images.

"Look Evelyn. We can't do this. She and I were introduced as the DeWitts. You know what that means? They think she will change her last name when we get married."

"Did you ever propose to her?"

"No but that's not the point." He said as they danced to the ending of the song.

"I'll just tell them it was a simple mistake. I am Evelyn after all. I know everything Elizabeth said about you is a lie. You are a great man. I'm not here to judge you. I can help. I know what you're going through."

"You've just met me again. With everything I've seen, I wouldn't make bets that you do."

"I understand…" She said with her eyes dodging his stare.

Elizabeth was nowhere in sight. She had already retreated to the balcony upstairs to cool off and regain her position. She couldn't stand the two dancing, someone other than her. Filled with jealousy and hurt, she shed a single tear for the starry Paris night. _All of that, for nothing, _she angrily thought._ Booker, why did you have to do it? I hope that information was worth the dance_. She stepped back inside out of curiosity to see if their dance had finished. What she saw lit her contempt in flames. Evelyn was close, too close to Booker. In all of her jealousy and anger, she quickly went downstairs and snuck behind the curtains of the stage; and just in time to hear something important. The clerk whom was sitting on his chair smoking his tobacco pipe squinted to see who was behind the curtains when he noticed a dark figure. Charles returned from his long trip to the restroom and commented, "So what have I miss? Ah I see Mr. DeWitt is now dancing with Ms. Evelyn. How strange. Just a moment ago Elizabeth and Evelyn were, well… Hmm I'm confused."

The shopkeeper saw that it was the Elizabeth behind the curtains and leaned forward to see why she was there. "Oh dear!" The clerk spouted as he sprang to his feet and hurriedly made his way somewhere. He had noticed lightning sparkling from Elizabeth's hand. "What's the hurry? Was the caviar unagreeable to you as well?" Charles asked as he saw the clerk dashing away.

Booker looked to the crowd again to search for his lover but was interrupted when Evelyn called his name. "If you ever change your mind. You can find me at Pont des Arts. The bridge of lovers. I'm glad I've met you again." She said as the song played its last note. Evelyn saw that it was a good a moment as ever and closed her eyes and leaned in to kiss him. Booker was not expecting any affection of the sort. Eyes widened and startled, he retracted his head back but the kiss was nearing.

Suddenly all of the lights flashed off, leaving nothing visible. The room was instantly dark and gasps and frightened muttering replaced the music. Bright flashes of lighting surged wildly from the curtains, shocking both Booker and Evelyn. _What the hell?! _He thought as he saw the lighting jolting around them. The crowd screamed as they saw the two being electrocuted. Instantly Evelyn went unconscious while Booker teetered on the brink. They both fell to the floor in numbing pain. It seemed that Evelyn gotten the worst of the hit.

..

Moments later, he found himself waking up on the balcony of Taillevent with Elizabeth in his view. He could hear her faintly calling his name. "Booker? Booker, wake up please. Booker." _That smile_, he thought. _I'm so glad to see that smile._ "Elizabeth" he gladly muttered as re regained consciousness. She gasped in gladness and welcomed him back to back. "What the hell happened?" he asked as she began to sit him up. He was unscathed. His tuxedo only suffered scuffs from him sitting improperly. "Shock Jockey… I know Shock Jockey when I see it." He asked again in surprise as he rubbed his head. "And where the hell did get it?"

"I don't have it. I only used the last of my eve… I mean, salts for it. I picked it up while I was in rapture."

"Why the Vigor?" he asked as he blinked his eyes in effort to refresh his vision.

"I saw her trying to kiss you. I wasn't going to let that happen," she replied softly, kneeling by his side. "I meant it to where she could be unconscious. You were there so I tried my best to not let it hurt you. I'm glad it didn't," she added as she patted the dust off his shoulders and chest.

"Yeah but did you have to shock us? I was going to stop her."

"I didn't want to take any chances."

"Hmph," he grunted as he attempted to stand to his feet.

"Booker, something's not right."

"You think?"

"No, listen. Columbia… Do you remember the play we attended? It was great but I was left wondering where they got the idea. I ignored it until today. That song that played, it was from the future… I know it. I heard it," she said as she tried explaining. There was concern in her voice.

"You might be getting ahead of yourself but I'm listening. First, what's going on inside?"

"Well, after I got you out here, the lights came back. Evelyn's was taken away. And trust me her highness is fine." She added. "They're serving dinner now."

"And Charles?"

"He and the chief of police guy calmed everyone. The ball is still taking place as you can see."

Elizabeth folded her arms and leaned on the railing. She suggested that they leave. All of the excitement of the night had diminished their appetite and their will to dance. There was no longer any desire to remain. With Evelyn being treated, the presence of Charles, and the shaken guests, it was best that they leave before anything else happened.

"Did you ever find out how she knew?" she asked.

"Only if I agreed to kiss her."

"Did you?"

"No…"

"Something's not right about her," she added.

"We'll talk about this when we get home, Liz."

She sighed and muttered with disappointment, "We never got to tell everyone our love." Booker leaned beside her and held her shoulder, comforting her. "There's always next time," he added.

Elizabeth and Booker agreed to leave but he said he would catch up to her. A moment of silence and solitude was needed for him to process it all. Elizabeth reluctantly agreed and stepped back into Taillevent. Booker leaned over the railing, puzzled and distraught. _What are you going to do Booker…_ With a heavy sigh he closed his eyes. _Evelyn, Elizabeth, I can't figure this out. _It never ends for Booker; constantly fighting with himself.

"Good evening, sir." A voice said approaching him. His silence broken, Booker turned and to his unpleasant surprise, it was the shop keeper.

"You! Hey, just what the hell are you planning to do? Are you trying to make my life hell?"

"I desire nothing of the sort."

"You got some explaining to do. All of your stuff. None of them worked. I had to run across Paris and climb the damn tower to save an idiot."

"And what did you learn?" he asked as he smoked his pipe.

"To never take things from strangers? Look, I don't know who you are or what you want, but I sure as hell ain't taking anything else from you."

"My friend, for the first sample, it appears that appearances aren't a variable in your life. Simply put, no matter what you look like, nothing will change. Now for the second one, it seems that you didn't need it. It only reacts to those who are lacking of its provisions."

"If I would have taken it…"

"Nothing would have happen my good fellow."

"Then why did you hand it to me?" Booker asked. "You're not making sense."

"Sense will be made in the end," he said as he pulled out a tiny vial, about four times smaller than the previous. "Here take this. It will open your eyes and your heart to the truth. It is my strongest formula yet," he said with a pleasing smile. Booker instantly rejected his offer and started to walk away. "Not interested pal. I'm done with your offers."

The shopkeeper then asked before Booker walked through the doors, "Are you ready, Mr. DeWitt?" Booker paused and turned to glare at the clerk. "You two need to be prepared for what's ahead," the Frenchman said. Impatient and desiring to be elsewhere besides in his company, Booker continued forward ignoring everything he said.

..

Later that night back at their house.

Booker immediately went to his favorite couch after taking off his tuxedo jacket. Without any regard for his attire, he fell onto its cushions. The entire weekend had him exhausted. He hadn't gotten much sleep yesterday either. All the running and activities drained him of his energy. Not to mention his mind war he was experiencing. "Are you hungry?" she asked. "For something light," he replied. Elizabeth started to prepare the table with plates. To her pleasant surprise, there sat a bushel of roses. After a delightful gasp, she instantly smiled a brilliant smile and held the roses to her chest. "Booker! These are beautiful!" she said as she ran to him. Booker chuckled as he realized those were Charles's roses. He felt slightly bad for taking credit of Charles. "Thank you! You're amazing!" She said as she hugged his tired body. He received her gratitude despite his feelings. Elizabeth walked over to her favorite vase and gently inserted the bright roses. With all of them except for one; she placed the last one in her hair. She a warmly smiled and turned to him for affirmation. Booker felt bad but still smiled through his emotions. She flirtatiously spun, waiting for his approval. He answered with a nod and a smile, just like when she selected her brooch in battleship bay.

She went back to the table to finish preparing their light dinner. _That should have been my flowers, _he thought, looking to the ceiling. _When was the last time I bought her flowers? _Booker wondered with remorse. Elizabeth placed croissants on the plates as an appetizer. "Let's see where we are after a couple croissants," she stated as she walked toward him. "Here, the person at our table asked me to give this to you," Elizabeth said. Booker looked down at her hand and to his surprise, was a very small vial; it was the same one that the clerk offered him. Puzzled, he took it and observed it in. She went along upstairs to change into more home fitting outfit. She had forgotten her fancy dress was on.

The vial: tiny in comparison to all the other samples. It was yet again clear with no distinctive labels. He opened the cork to sniff its scent. Odorless as predicted. _Open my eyes and heart huh? What the hell, might as well. _He tipped his head back and emptied its contents into his mouth. Two drops dripped into his tongue. It tasted like water. _That's it?_ He thought as he observed the empty vial. _I don't feel any different…_

He removed himself from the couch and sat at the dinner table while Elizabeth was undressing. In front of the mirror, she stood and stared at herself, her body, and the rose in the hair. Her corset garter belt and stockings were sophisticatedly sexy. With her fingers, she gently brushed the rose peddles. Her mood was warmed by the flowers.

Strangely, she felt the urge to kiss him; a fleshy urge to make love to him. Her body reacted hotly to images of him in her mind. Puzzled at why she felt this way, she disregarded her needs and proceeded to undo her hair. It was long and fell down to her mid back. She had forgotten its length as she took a brush to comb her hair. With each stroke, it was reminded of how he would pull and tug on her hair. The urge returned with a stronger potency. She paused, took a deep breath and fantasized her lover holding her at that very moment; kissing and massaging her. Her thoughts carried her off to another place. _Mmm, Booker. I wish you would love me tonight…_ she thought as she envisioned herself on the bed with him. She opened her eyes to find herself caressing her breast. The other hand was sinking to her spot. She again attempted to stop herself and quickly threw on a loose fitted dress. With a sigh she tried to fight her desires as she headed downstairs.

However much she tried to suppress her needs, the longing for him leaked regardless. As soon as she spotted his highly attractive figure, her body took over. Her plan of modesty and decency was overridden by her desires. _I want him. I need him._

"Hey, lets eat," Booker said without turning his head to her direction. Elizabeth made her way to him and surprisingly instead of sitting on her chair, she seductively plopped herself on Bookers lap. Without any regard for decency or food, she wetted her lips with high intention of storming Booker's gates. Her thighs tightly hugged his waist and her hair drooped over his head, encompassing his view. Startled, Booker watched as she autonomously released her desires. She pressed her clitoris directly on his sex area and leaned her body on his. Any strength he had to fight her charm was captivated and diluted. She cupped her hands around Bookers face and leaned in to kiss him. Her eyes were seductively greyer than usual. Her blue iris hazed to a whitish halo as she drew close. Booker was speechless. He wanted to speak but no words were uttered. It took him swiftly by surprise. He had never been so quickly seduced. _She is so beautiful_, he thought as she kissed him firmly but softly. Her kiss and sexual drive was totally unexpected but welcomed either way. His lips remained sealed but only for a moment as he couldn't resist her sexual persuasion. _How long ago did I last love her?_ He thought as they traded kisses. He wrapped his arms around her womanly hips. Her curves slowly awakened the tiger that he had long caged. With every inch he felt of her wide hips, testosterone flooded his blood. He felt like a madman wanting to ravage her; like an animal chasing its prey. Her sexual energy penetrated his body as it began to turn his engines. She was so toxic that he couldn't resist. No matter if he had resisted, his body would have absorb her sexual essence. He felt his body heat up, boiling with the craving to make love to her. He too had forgotten how it felt and the elation it brought. She started to sway in an intoxicating sexual manner, directly awakening him. The pressure began to feel uncomfortable as room was quickly dwindling between his legs. His large bulge acted as sexual substitute, rubbing her clitoris as she rhythmically weaved back and forth. She sweetly moaned through her kisses. As the touching increased her pleasure, she parted lips to let loose a complete moan. Her appetite for him multiplied; she leaned in to nibble and bite his neck. Booker felt her breath blowing across his smoothly shaved skin. Her drive and passion slowly indoctrinated his system to manual override. He felt his gears turn and his pistons fire. Blood and adrenaline mixed with love created a concoction that powerfully motivated him to lift her petite body up. He sat her on the table without care for the utensils and plates. The weight of her body initially rattled the porcelain. She continued to kiss him and scratch his back as she hugged her legs around his waist. Things were heating up. The air quickly converted to a thick mist of love as they kissed each other. Their passion was hot and sensual. Like a parched desert finally receiving water, Elizabeth moaned from his belated affection. His palm was like a raging ball of fire rolling down her spine as he slithered his hand down her back, tingling each inch of her skin. The squeeze of his left hand shot a bolt of excitement to her nerves. Red zone, she was reaching maximum threshold as the teasing and foreplay steamed her sky high. She was on the verge, the brink of sensory overload and uncontrollably, she moaned vociferously desperately begging for him to enter her.

_She's your daughter…_

Like rain to fire, was his thought of morality orbiting his mind. He quickly ignored the pestering node of morals and continued his pouring his love to Elizabeth. He gently tugged her hair back, revealing her vulnerable throat and kissed every inch surround her neck. _Booker!_ She moaned and gasped as he took control like she wished he would. Every spot was his and belonged to the animal in him. Nothing was left untouched by his sexual appetite. He kissed her soft neck and glided his bottom lip up to her ear. That too was his. He was going to take everything. With a daring and bold move, he nipped her ear sending her to an erotic mindgasm. Her body curled and shivers crawled all along her body wildly as she discovered her new weakness. She moaned as if he had already penetrated her; the emotional singularity he created warped her feelings to another dimension. She was quantumly pleased. Her panties were completely soaked and her clitoris throbbing, swollen, and begging for him to enter. Her body blazed hot with the flames of love and her breathing ragged with delightful pleasure. Receiving the overdue absence of love twirled her into a transcendent vortex of ecstasy. She couldn't break free from her rhythm as she was in a trance, an intoxicating dream of wondrous love. The bulge in his pants began to bring high discomfort to him. Elizabeth intrinsically knew and quickly dragged his trouser down revealing his long and large hardness.

_She's Anna…_

Again his morality knocked with unfailing punctuality. That name caused him to immediately and abruptly cease. Booker desisted from kissing her and stared into her eyes, the eyes of his daughter. This time, he couldn't ignore his nagging thought. He couldn't proceed any further. He breathed heavily as he saw her face. He knew what she was thinking and what she was going to ask but couldn't say a word. He was too busy fighting his morals. "Booker" she panted. "Why? Why did you stop? Please don't stop," she begged.

"Elizabeth, I… I can't," he responded as looked downward. He was almost there. She was more than ready. All he had to do was enter and they would have been in heaven. It looked so enticing; wet and warm, glistening and pulsating. The more he stared the more he wanted to ram it in. "Make love to me please," she huffed as she kissed his neck. He couldn't move but he wanted to. He fought and struggled with himself. He couldn't shake the swarm of thoughts that convicted him of wrong. Like a plague it invaded his mind. He closed his eyes and frowned at himself and his actions. "Please, take me Booker," she begged and pleaded again. Like a chained tiger to a whip he submitted to his morality and yielded to its authority.

"Anna… I-I can't. You're my…"

"I know I'm your daughter." Elizabeth caressed his face and drifted closer to his lips. She whispered through her heavy breathing. "That's what makes it beautiful. Please, ignore it just for today. Show me you love me and want me. It's been so long. I need you in me," she desperately pleaded with him. "Just this once, please," her words were like sensual sweet honey as they entered his ears. She beckoned with the silver tongue and the slithered her words smoothly into his mind. He was at war. She saw it in his eyes; the battle of his lifetime. Her words were the antidote to his moral pain. He so desperately wanted her but feared the recompense would overwhelm him. She knew of this and decided to assist him. She shut the gap between their hot lips. Booker closed his eyes allowing her to carry him away. He had lost his drive due to his mind battle. He couldn't fight her clutch either. She was too seductive. Like grasping oil, he miserably failed. His mind was quieted by Elizabeth's soothing and curing love. Just then, the all too familiar sensation that engulfed him presented itself welcomingly. So wet, so smooth, so tight, so warm, and so silky. _How did this happen?_ He moaned from the unexpected sensation. _Shit… _He moaned again as she pushed deeper. _She's so wet and warm._ He hated it but he loved it. With the remainder of his mental strength, one last hoo-rah, he fought to the bitter end. He had to push and succeed, he had to overcome and win his war. It was trial by fire and burned like hell. He attempted to fight his inner demon with all of his might. He was going to endure and be proven through his rite of passage, to emerge victorious. But unfortunately the incessant reminder won and returned with grave retribution.

_You're fucking your god damn daughter…_

Elizabeth moaned sensually and loudly as she felt him slide inside her. She scooted onto him without his awareness. His senses were too distracted by his inner fight to have noticed. She snuck her way on him like a thief stealing the motherlode. He was all inside of her. She took ever last inch he had to offer. _Elizabeth,_ he groaned as he had felt a contradictory between his mind and heart. It wasn't agreeable; too conflicting to enjoy, yet so pleasurable nothing could compare. He tried his hardest to focus. He began to withdraw and thrust into her. She was in heaven. Finally, she had him inside her fully. She was incredibly moist; dripping wet with the sweet juices of her body. Her sensual moans kissed his ear and boiled his masculinity. She was so feminine and womanly. It never felt so good to do the wrong thing with him.

With Elizabeth's last moan of pleasure Booker forcefully broke off, leaving her on the table. "Booker?" Without looking at her, he yanked his pants back on and briskly stormed to the door.

"Booker wait!" she cried out as she saw him leave. Without any consideration to her voice, he left with no intention of looking back. "Booker!" she shouted but he didn't bother to answer. Angry, he was considerably angry at himself. He wanted her and wanted her immensely. He wanted to make love to her and wanted to be her lover. There was not a desire more greater than to be her one and only. Not just for him but for her. He wanted to give her all he had to offer because she deserved it; because she needed it. She needed love, affection, and attention that only he could provide. But no matter how deeply he loved her, or how much he wanted her, he simply could not silence the voice in his head. His morals followed him like the grim reaper, waiting and waiting to ruin precious moments. With fire in his eyes, he had to leave. He didn't want to hurt her in any way. He couldn't bear the sight of her crying or the sorrow in her eyes. "God damn it!" he cursed as she stomped away. "Why won't it shut up? Why won't it fuckin stop. Killing was worse than this. Why can't I get a hold of myself?" He rambled on in his head. His mind sped too quickly for him to think clearly. Too angry, confused, and disappointed to think, he lit a cigarette and stormed off aimlessly without a destination. "Outta way princess." He snapped at a young girl who approached him. Without thinking twice he pushed anyone else that got in his way.

Elizabeth stood to her feet and quickly slipped boots on. _Booker no... I have to hurry_. She rushed to make her way out of the door to find him. As she stepped outside look for him, Booker had walked far. He was nowhere in sight. It was dark and lonely. She called for him but no answer. Her feet took her to the Siene River to get a better view of her surroundings. Elizabeth was greeted with quiet streets and the brilliantly lit Eiffel Tower in the distance. She swiftly scanned the area for any trace of lover. She called for him again but of course, there was no reply. To her dismay Booker had gone completely out of sight. She started to anxiously panic. The thought of him abandoning her crept into her mind. _No, Booker. Where are you?_ _Please don't be gone. _She frantically searched left and right for him. _Is he leaving me?_ Unreasonable thoughts poisoned her mind as the seconds passed. She jogged ahead toward a bridge.

Booker stood on the bridge overlooking the peaceful river. It reminded him of her love for him; it was an endless river. He began to think wonder if he could actually achieve this monumental task. It seemed impossible. How she overcame it so easily baffled him. Elizabeth of all people is most prone to be fixated on right and wrong but somehow, they hypothetically switched roles. He took a deep breath and exhaled his last bit of anger and drooped his head. He couldn't leave her. That thought never once visited his mind as an option. But he had to do something, however no solution was easily found. He couldn't stay with her and see her only as a daughter because he was in love with her as well. Booker was completely unware of his current state of mind; he was suffering from cognitive dissonance and needed to experience a paradigm shift. Or regrettably, he will go insane. He couldn't ask Elizabeth to be in a platonic position. She'd die every day till she is no more. He might have well asked her to commit suicide. That wasn't a viable option in his eyes either. The baby was coming and he wanted her to have a happy normal family. But what was 'normal?' The DeWitts never really had anything normal about them. Who said they had to follow by a rule or standard that saved some but crushed others like themselves? These were Booker's thoughts as he contemplated his situation. It seems that the presence of suffering still lingered in their lives, assuming a tenacious grip. He desperately needed an answer to his problem before his humanity collapses. He loved her enough to be her lover, caress and embrace her, kiss her, but not make love. The poisonous parasite of morality will soon bring mental degradation. He feared one day, he will no longer love her how she needed to be loved. Necrosis would spread through his heart if action didn't happen soon. She would perish the instant she knew he didn't love her any more than a daughter. He couldn't but he feared tonight was the night to tell her the truth.

"Booker!" Elizabeth excitedly called out to him as she spotted him on the bridge. He slowly turned his attention to his lover was glad to see her. She ran to him and smiled nervously. She slowed her approach as she drew close and clasped hands together with hope, not being sure if she was welcomed. Booker spread his arms and Elizabeth's face lit as bright as the stars that night. She leaped into his embrace and held him tightly. "Booker I'm so glad I found you. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset."

"It's alright Liz. Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong," he said as she comforted her. Booker kissed her head to assure her that he wasn't angry. She looked up at him smiled.

"Why did you leave?" she asked with a soft tone, wondering if anything has changed about how he felt for her. There was silence between them. The sound of the streaming river instead filled her ears. It was for once not invited as she'd prefer an answer from Booker. Even the sounds of the soft winds were dismissed. Words had no place in his mouth for he was too enveloped in his thoughts. He didn't want to tell her how he felt. It would crush her. "Booker?" she asked again. He couldn't invoke the courage to tell her of his struggle. She knew of it but was not aware of the depths of his agony. She raised her head from his broad chest and innocently peered into his eyes. The worry and concern was present on her precious expression. Her eyes shimmered under the pale moon light. He hadn't seen this look since Battleship Bay. Booker wasn't ready to see any tears and didn't want to provoke any sadness from silence but was lost for words. His heart was utterly failing him. But with gathered courage, he released his words.

"Elizabeth… I need to tell you something."

"No… it's about us isn't it?" She interjected fearfully. Her eyes were already tearing.

"Liz… I, I just. I can't do it." He finally pushed it out. He couldn't hold it in any longer and released the truth. Bound by his laws, he was deemed fit to hold his truths no matter how he felt.

"No… no, Booker…" She whispered as she slowly backed away from him. Her heart was cracking as those words shot through her heart like poisoned arrows.

With great regret he spoke, "I can't love you the way you need to be loved, no matter how hard I try… I'm sorry."

Booker could hear her heart shatter that night. She gasped in horror. Her spirit and heart sank to the floor, crashing and breaking. Her mouth gaped open from the disbelief. Streams of tears flowed down her distressed and shocked face. There was not a place in Paris that could mend her heart now.

"Booker…" she whimpered. "Please tell me that's not true." She pleaded. He shut his eyes from the disaster he created and shook his head. "I'm so sorry Elizabeth. I can't love you that way," he said with heavy guilt and regret.

"Why?" she whispered softly through her tears. "Why can't you love me?"

He stood silent as the night. His words absent as the sun. He couldn't look at her. He couldn't find the strength to gaze upon the heart he broke. She tried to hold her tears. A futile effort as she profusely cried. She began to sob. Her hand that covered her mouth couldn't hold the rivers of tears that fell from her face. She shook her head again and again. In desperation and denial, she pleaded one last time. "B-Booker, look at me. Tell me… Tell me you love me…"

"I do, but I don't…" He quietly answered.

..

A part of her died that night. If her heart could scream and sob without hesitation, it would. Full of sorrow and pain, she stood and cried atop the Pont de l'Archevêché. A cold gust of wind blew her tears into the air. Cold, so cold. It was a shivering sensation that she felt. Elizabeth needed his touch, his warm arms around her that night but wouldn't dare to ask. The couple bathed in a sinking abyss of dread. Booker failed to muster the decency to sustain her heart after his soul wrenching words; instead he sighed. With her last drop of remaining hope, she desperately pleaded through her precious whispers, "Please… We can make it work. Please, just try…"

Hastily, he replied, "No Elizabeth. I can't. Don't you get it? I can't love you. I can't be the one you need. I can't call you Anna love you how you want."

"B-Booker..."

"It's impossible! There's a sea between us… I can't seem to cross it," he retorted with a strained voice. She gasped, swallowing her tears that she inhaled. It was salty and bitter just like his words.

"A sea of hope, Booker! P-Please, we can make this work," she quietly cried and begged.

"Elizabeth! That's enough." With his frustration released upon the wrong person, place, and time; he destroyed whatever hope she had left, leaving her desolate. She couldn't stand the pain of losing him right before her very eyes. And with her last sob, she swiftly turned to jog away in her loneliness. He regrettably watched as she faded into the distance, sobbing as she went. With his anger, he slammed the railing, rattling its foundations. The creaking metal echoed through the lonely Paris night. Weary and drained from all of his emotions he rested his weight on the railing, wishing to cry but couldn't. Being a hardened man like he is, no tears were shed that night. "You won… I lost,"he huffed as she stared at the passing waters below.

He remembered the time when he strummed a guitar with her while she sang. _That beautiful voice. I wonder if I will ever hear it again. _Her lovely voice played in his mind, creating uneasiness. All of the memories of her replayed that night but like a broken record; even the memory of her smiles and laughter.

He must have been there for almost an hour, thinking and pitifully sulking. It was almost mid-night before he decided to head back. With each step he dragged, a memory of Elizabeth in happiness flashed through his mind. _How could I?_ He questioned. _How could I be so cruel?_

As he walked his stride of solitude down the Parisian street, he noticed the shop he visited was closed and abandoned. The sign was lopsided and the some of its words were missing. The store was completely empty. He shook his head and scoffed, "What a joke. Can't believe I listened to that guy." Evelyn returned to his mind momentarily. Booker pondered how she knew about his secret. It bothered him but not as greatly as what he did to Elizabeth. He was nearing his house, almost home to his heart broken lover. _Elizabeth… _he wondered. _I'm so sorry._

As he opened the door, he was greeted with complete darkness. The light from the streetlamps showed a glimpse the dinner table. The plates were still there, disturbed from there sex. His coat, was still on the hanger. Elizabeth didn't bother to clean. He wanted to call for her but hesitated and proceeded to quietly venture upstairs. Darkness laden the entire house, occupying every corner. As he reached for his door handle, he could hear her quietly sobbing in anguish through the door. He paused and thought about the despair he caused. Shamed and full of guilt, he shut his eyes to quell the pain. Eventually he slowly opened the door. There she laid on the bed, crying and sniffling. The weight of his new sin was too much. Feelings of unworthiness loomed over him, forcing him to shut the door in guilt. He headed back downstairs to sleep on something more deserving of his actions: his couch. He didn't feel worthy to sleep beside his queen so there he laid, quiet and lonely. Exhaustion crashed over him like a wave and soon he fell asleep underneath the gravity of his deed.

..


	7. I'll be yours and you'll be mine

Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews. I read them all. Further notes are at the end.

* * *

**_Chapter 7_**

**_Tonight we'll kiss. I'll be yours and you'll be mine._**

_You are my first love… And now you are my last._

_Kiss me, kiss me before I go…_

_Anna DeWitt_

_November 3__rd__ 1893 – September 16__th__, 1918_

..

Arms outstretched, he desperately tried to reach for his love "Elizabeth! No, wait! I'm sorry!" His sprinting feet couldn't close the gap between them and the darkness that enveloped her was pulling her away faster than his panicking heart could take him. Her eyes were so full of sorrow and darkened with despair. She reached out for him, mouth gaping but speechless. Her hand on her heart while the other, begging for his. Tears flowed from her face as she was being pulled further into the darkness. "Elizabeth!" he screamed as he sprinted with all of his ability. He peered into the desperate blue eyes of hers as her body faded into the engulfing darkness. She couldn't speak, she couldn't act. She was as helpless as a lamb being taken away to the slaughter. His lamb, his baby was being stolen from his very eyes yet again. "Noo! Anna! I'm so sorry. Please forgive me!" he shouted as he reached to her. His fingers, so close to hers; he was less than an inch. With all of his effort he desperately stretched his hand further only to grab the space between them.

Before he knew it, the darkness distanced itself further and quicker than ever. He watched in wretched horror as his daughter faded into the distance. He ran and ran but could not catch her. He was beat. He lost to the shadow that took his love. "Nooo!" he screamed as she disappeared into the distance. "Anna!"

Booker froze in the darkness that slowly surrounded his body. His eyes were locked on the spot where Elizabeth once was. He started to shiver as he realized he lost her, Elizabeth; the only one he truly loved. The quivering hand of his revealed only a couple lovely brown strands of her hair in his palm. He watched as the last remnants of his daughter floated in the air toward his face. He was frozen by the shock, the crippling pain of losing Anna. His eyes followed the one strand that gently brushed his cheek as he floated away in the distance. Memories of her full set of hair resting on chest shot through his body. Memories of her sleeping in his arms flooded his mind. He remembered how her beautiful hair would softly caress his face, welcoming him into reality from his sleep. Her hair would sometimes pass his cheek and lips whenever the wind would visit them as they stood on their favorite bridge. His trembling lips released a scream of pain from the depths of his heart. It was unbearable and crushing. He screamed her name, the name he gifted her with.

..

The time of day was early and Paris had begun its hustle and bustle. Its denizens had already open their shops. Although the day was young and it was the start of a new week; Sunday, activities were moving more sluggish than usual. They had the weather to thank. The sky was that of a gloomy overcast. Rain drizzled gently over all of Paris, pouring a lackadaisical spirit over everyone. No one liked the grey clouds that blanketed over their day. The people had hoped for a bright and beautiful start to a new week. Summer was coming to an end however and the autumn season had a schedule to fulfill; brining its unfavorable colder weather and stormy days. Playful children were absent on the Parisian streets. The sound of cheerful laughter was lacking. It was slick and wet at every turn and corner which meant diminished fun and enthusiasm. Parents held their children at bay while they enjoyed their time indoors. Only a number of people with duties or destinations could be seen on the wet paths with their umbrellas. It was a gloomy and disappointing day indeed. This was must have been fate engaging in the DeWitt's story for the setting suited the scene perfectly, almost too perfectly.

Thunder could be heard from the living room of where Booker slept. The low rumbling shook Booker from his dreaded dream. He gasped as his eyes shot open, revealing a dully lit living room. The rattle of the sudden jolt back into reality relieved him of his terror. He breathed heavily as he slowly regained precision in this mind. He blinked several times to clear the murkiness his eyes gave him. It was rainy and stormy. He could hear the relaxing sounds of rain that sprinkled their house. He left out a final dense breath as he tried to relax. The feelings he felt carried into reality as he thought about his Anna. The surreal emotions he felt seemed to latch on to him as he laid motionless on his couch. He couldn't lose her. But what he did last night, killed her inside. He didn't lose her but she had lost him. The draining and sinking feeling he felt forced him to ball his hands to a fist.

As his muscles contracted he felt pressure on his arm. He slowly looked over to see what it was. Incredibly and unbelievably, it was her: Elizabeth. His eyes brightened and his heart bled gladly from her love. He couldn't believe she'd lay in his arms after how he treated her with his painful words. Her resting head laid on his arm as she slept. He did not notice her. _Why? I don't deserve this. How can she choose to love me?_ He gladly watched as her chest slowly raised and sank, giving him relief that she was still here and alive. His expression saddened as he noticed a crinkled handkerchief beside her face. Elizabeth cried herself to sleep in his arms, despite his harsh words. It looked slightly damp. She must have woken up less than an hour ago and cried again, falling back to sleep. Elizabeth had a restless night and was tired. She had finally fallen into deep sleep. Her ever pleasant scent treated his nose as he took a deep breath. The smell of sweet flowers, honey, and the sky calmed his soul. It reminded him of her innocence that she intrinsically had. She was the very definition of faithful and devotion. Her love surpassed all that existed, overshadowing all forms of love. He felt his heart bend and crinkle from her love. He couldn't believe the depths of her love. She chose to be by his side no matter what.

_Elizabeth…_ he whispered as he softly stroked her beautiful long hair. With his fingers, he gently brushed her cheek as he watched her breathe and rest silently. _How could I? How can I be so heartless? _He thought as she turned her head to his body, repositioning it closer to his chest and finally letting out a breath.

With eyes focused and brows scrunched, he stared at the ceiling contemplating. He had broken her heart and spirit. With disaster he has planted, he didn't know what to do to recompense and reconciliate. His actions were irreversible as he couldn't tell her he changed his mind. He still felt it impossible to love her entirely. Saddened and disheartened, he slowly sat up and closed his eyes from all of his overbearing emotions. _Elizabeth… I'm so sorry for everything, _he whispered as he gently extracted himself from the couch with caution, hoping not to wake the resting Anna.

The thunder rumbled as he silently made his way to her favorite vase full of roses. His actions, although gentle, had awoken Elizabeth. She slowly opened her eyes to see Booker holding a rose. Her expression was unchanged from last night. Still heartbroken, she remembered everything all over again. It wasn't a dream like she wished it was. The nightmare was here to stay with reality and the truths crushed her heart as the seconds passed. She wanted to speak. She wanted to greet her lover but couldn't move a muscle. She wished that he would welcome her to the morning with a kiss and the pleasant words that he had forgotten to whisper: "I love you." She remembered the last time those words kissed her ear. It was a month ago. Her desires were not fulfilled and would no longer ever be fulfilled.

She closed her eyes as Booker turned his head to check on her. With pursed lips and a deep sigh, he turned his eyes toward the rose he held. With a discontented frown, he returned the rose to its place and walked to his jacket with intention of leaving. _What should I do now… I need to leave for a second, _he thought as he donned his jacket and fedora before he exited.

The drizzling rain greeted him with cold wetness as he slowly paced the slick streets looking for answers. His lost and confused heart led him along aimlessly. Booker's drooped head was a clear expression of an unwelcoming aura. No one bothered to look at Booker and he did likewise. _Evelyn, how do you know about me and Elizabeth? _He pondered. With remembrance of her words, "Meet me at Pont de Arts," he made his way there.

Elizabeth had slowly sat up right after her lover left. She walked over to her large living room window and sat on the sill. With sadness she watched through the rain as her lover faded into the distance. Her eyes dropped tears of sadness; an outward expression of her inward depression.

With a limp posture, she leaned on her window watching as the rain poured down on Paris. The deep sorrow she felt reminded her of her unhappiness before Booker reentered her life. Drip by drip, she watched as each one slid down her Parisian window. The distorted view of the Eiffel Tower reflected her inner grief. What was once clear was now uncertain. Gloomy and dreary, the cloudy skies casted a depressing blanket her. Elizabeth's chest raised slowly with each deep breath, hoping to exhale the pain she felt. The pondering of how events led her life back in misery replaced her thoughts of peace and happiness that once occupied every corner of her mind. The perfectly happy Elizabeth now drowned in her tears as she quietly wept. How could she win against something so massive in theory? How could she defeat morality? It consumed the strong and indestructible man she loved. With no cosmic powers or universal knowledge; no omniscience, how could she challenge what was set in people's hearts for thousands and thousands of years? She might as well dare to defy all laws of this universe and existence itself. Morality… it always wins. Like a tenacious and relentless plague, it shall always prevail, regardless of generations or the millennia. He unfortunately lost the fight and the war was won. Booker fought and fought with all of his might to the bitter end. He could not do it.

One way or another, morality has standards and principles it will uphold to. Through one person or another justice and righteousness is always realized in the end. Elizabeth managed to win her battle but it returned sevenfold to her through Booker. It was a force of nature, a part of life that she somehow could not overcome no matter her efforts. Should she admit defeat? Should she give in and abandon her resolve that she fought terribly hard to attain? Her mind was a wreck. With every hopeful hint of love and life merciless murdered by the overwhelming might of morals. She couldn't formulate any strategies, any plans that would reconciliate their broken relationship. She loved him more than anyone could know, even Booker couldn't comprehend her depths of her love. It was a love so profound and deep that was unattainable by ordinary couples who claim they were in love.

She was there yet again. Depression reared its dark ugly face, knocking on Elizabeth's heart once more. There was no way out, no escape. In life, there are battles one must lose. This was no different. There was nothing she could do. Facing this opponent is near insurmountable. The degree too high to obtain, even for someone like her.

Her warm tears crept down her lonely face unto her lips. The saltiness added to the depressing flavor she tasted. Her hair hid her deeply saddened face like a veil as she gazed out into the city of love. She remembered her happy moments and that they shared. Her laughter, his laughter, the first moment their lips met, and the night it all happened replayed in her mind like a beautiful record. The wonderful moments of bliss that she lived were hers. Her hand covered her heart, holding on to the memories that relished in. She felt cold and lonely. The only positive thing she has left are her sweet memories of times of pure love. Before anything strange happened; she saw life through rose tinted glasses. A life full of optimism and clarity. She couldn't have been happier.

She remembered a song from the future she listened to when she had her powers. It was one of her favorite songs of the 1980's. Its melody was clear as her pain. With a small whisper she began to hum along to the tune that played in her heart. Words then escaped her lips as her feelings followed its lyrics.

"_Oceans apart… day after day… and I slowly go insane…"_

Tears dripped from her chin, splashing unto to her beautiful dress as she sung. Never missing a beat or singing off tune, she sang with saddened beauty. She mirrored an angel from heaven that morning.

"_Wherever you go… whatever you do… I will be right here waiting for you…"_

She shut her eyes to quell the misleading promise of Paris. Her broken heart led her to cry more as she sang on.

"_Whatever it takes… Or how my heart breaks… I will be right here waiting for you…"_

With her soft palm on her cheek and fingers in her hair, she wept. The minutes passed as she hummed the remaining chorus. She cried her way through its beautiful melody and mustered her voice to sing the last verse.

"_I wonder how we can survive, this romance… But in the end if I'm with you… I'll take the chance…"_

..

She could hear them laugh without a care in the world. Their joyous laughter echoed through her hollow heart, reverberating pain as it faded. Images of them dancing in the sunlight and kissing in the sunset filled her heart with hurt. Elizabeth pictured their love being consummated at night and visualized it renewed in the morning. She gave up once and she was drawing near again. But this time, she decided for a change. She was going to unconditionally love him. A plan of immeasurable love sprouted from her heart despite the pressure of despair. Elizabeth decided at that moment to wait, to wait for her lover's heart to return to her. She was willing to endure the excruciating pain for the rest of her life if it meant only seeing his love surface for a day; it was worth it. A decision was made in her heart to patiently wait until the moment she passes. Elizabeth believed in him, she believed that he will eventually return to her. Deep in her heart she searched for the strength to get up and move despite the overwhelming burden of emotional pain. The pangs of misery surrounded her but with a bit of the strength she stood to her feet. She fought through her tears and weakness. Her arms and legs weighed a ton as she slipped on her boots. Each movement of her body was immensely difficult. With an umbrella shielding her body, she stepped out of her lonely dreary home and into the gloomy and dreadful rain. The pour was consistent and unremitting. The drops of water that splash on her face was cold, cold like the pain she felt. With each step she took, she thought of Booker's warm touch. Her averted eyes represented her broken heart. Her desolate composure and slow walk reflected the misery and empty void that she felt. For once, she walked in the rain without her lover. Each time in the past when it had rained he was there holding the umbrella for her. His smile was missed as she looked to her left to see a missing spot where he should have been. The empty slot where he once stood haunted her as she dragged her feet along the way. Her left hand dangled lonely in the wind and rain. She imagined her hand inside Booker's where it fit perfectly and snugly. Like dull knife across her heart, was the thought of his missing touch. The cold wind blew against her body, swaying her hair. She closed her eyes and stepped onwards. Numb to its cold sting, numb to the world and its realities, she continued forward down the avenue of shattered dreams. Like a fallen angel, a lost star, she wandered on through the cold drizzling showers.

_I've decided Booker, that no matter what, I'd follow you wherever you go. I'll wait forever till you I find you._

..

As Booker stepped foot on the bridge, he slowly lifted his head to reveal a lady waiting at the center. He immediately knew it was Evelyn when he first laid eyes upon her figure. It was only the two of them on Pont de Arts; his footsteps could be heard as he drew near. When Booker came close to her, she turned her head to greet him with an acquainted smile. He returned a solemn expression as she turned her body to him. Her dress was dark, suitable for the weather. He locked his eyes on hers and paid her outfit no mind. He stopped several meters from her, hinting her of his strictly business presence. He blinked when the cold drops of water entered his eyes. Motionless, he stood and stared at her in the bitter wind.

"Booker," Evenly quietly greeted. The thunder rumbled in the distance as she finished his name with a smile. The sound of the skies almost drowned her voice but Booker still heard her speak his name. It didn't sound pleasing to him.

"…Evelyn," he muttered as the wind blew across rain across his lips.

"I knew you would change your mind."

With a quick rebuttal from his heart, he corrected her, "I didn't. I came here because I needed you to answer my questions." Evelyn replied with a silent indifferent expression. He took the liberty and proceeded with his questions, breaking the silence.

"How do you know about Elizabeth, and me?"

"I know everything. I know that Elizabeth loves you. And I also know that she carries your child."

Her last words sent a sting to his heart. He twitched his brows and wondered how she knew. He squinted his eyes and asked with a stern voice, "How did you know that?"

"Booker, come with me. Forget about this despicable relationship you carry with your daughter. This is your chance to start anew, to wipe away your final debt."

_Debt? _He thought as the memories flashed in his mind. _Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt! _He turned his face from the intensity of the flashback. _How does she know? Who is she?_

"This is your last chance. There won't be anything else that will come to save you. Don't disappoint me Booker, it's fate that we should be together. You know this is the best for both of you."

"Evelyn. Just, who are you?"

"I also knew that we were hit with a vigor last night. Shock Jockey. Am I right?"

_How did she…_ he thought as his mind began to race. "Evelyn, answer my question," he demanded.

"I'm glad you brought your woman. I had a plan for her," she replied, purposely dodging his question.

_What?_ He thought as he turned around to see someone at the beginning of the bridge. "Elizabeth?" he uttered as he noticed her. She stood at the beginning of the bridge holding her umbrella and fluttering her eyes as she saw the two conversing. "Booker!" She called loudly enough for him to hear.

"Elizabeth. What are you doing here? You should be back home. It's raining," Booker said as he briskly walked toward her. With a bit of excitement she dropped her umbrella and started to jog toward him. "I overheard Evelyn asking you to meet her here so I came. I wanted to tell you something. Booker, I…"

Suddenly she felt a hand grab her shoulder, yanking her backwards. Surprised and greatly perplexed she tried to regain her balance. She was caught off guard and could not turn quickly to see who it was. Then a small cold rod pressed unto her back with great pressure. _What is that, what is touching me?_ She thought as she tried regaining her balance. _Who's behind me? _She frantically wondered. Booker's brows furrowed to see someone mishandling her. He immediately started to run. "Hey! Get your hands off of her!" he shouted.

Then there was a loud bang, a distinguishable loud boom followed by a crackling echo. It wasn't the lightning, and definitely not its thunder. Her mouth gaped. Her eyes widened from a sudden jolt of an unexplainable sensation. The pressure, the pain, forced her head back as she felt the irrefutable feeling of sharp yet blunt pain. _I… Did I just… _Incredible and excruciating numbing pain shot through her body. Her eyes were full of fear and terror as she stared hopelessly into Booker's eyes.

"No! Elizabeth!" he shouted as he sprinted faster.

Then another crackling boom echoed against the buildings of Paris. Then another… "Elizabeth!" he yelled as he got closer. She loudly gasped from the overbearing pain she felt. The mysterious person started to dart away as Booker came within reach. "You son of a bitch! God damn you!" Booker yelled as the person that ran away. She slowly looked down to her body to reveal three wounds. She was entering a state of shock and the sight of her bloodied clothes sent her further into perplexing immobility. "M-my baby, no! My baby." With her shaking hands, she felt her bleeding wounds. Her ragged and pained breathing became shallow. Elizabeth's quivering body began to buckle underneath her own weight. She started to collapse as she blankly stared into the eyes of her lover.

Booker came just in time to catch her from hitting the ground. He kneeled down with his gravely injured lover in his arms. "Elizabeth no! Elizabeth… no, no no!" he frantically uttered as he observed her lethal wounds. With his hand, he tried putting pressure on them but they were too many for him to cover. Her wounds bled profusely. There was nothing he could do. "Elizabeth, I can't stop the bleeding. I don't know what to do. Please tell me what to do!" He panicked and spoke as she looked into his eyes. She laid there motionless as she struggled to breathe. Her stuttering and pained breathing forced her to cough. Her desperate eyes begged for him. "B-Booker, our baby…" she said as she fought her incredible discomfort. With a panicked face, he tried to reply, "Elizabeth it's gonna be okay. Just hang on! I'm not going the lose both of you!"

With understanding of the severity of her wounds, she decided it was time to tell him everything.

"Booker, listen. L-Listen to me. I just wanted to tell you something," she quietly whispered. He peered into her helpless eyes. He saw that she was slipping to the darkness.

"I wanted to tell you, that. That I was going to wait for you to love me, even if it meant me waiting until I'm old."

"Elizabeth… no, no I'm sorry this is my fault. Hold on darling, I'm going to get you to a hospital," he frantically responded as he tried to lift her body up.

With a pained gasped she swallowed. She felt herself fading. Her body was going into shock. "Booker!" she groaned. "You and I both know what happens next. It's too late for me and you know this."

"Don't you dare say that. It's not!" he said as he lifted her body in his arms and stood to his feet.

"Booker stop, please… listen," she groaned. He paused to hear her words. Her body was shivering in his arms. Her lips quivered as she spoke, "I'm no one special. I can't survive this. No tears, no omniscience, no quantum powers. I'm just a normal girl, with a normal pinky." With great discomfort and pressure, she struggled to speak. "I'll go wherever you go and follow you till the end of days, but not this time."

"Elizabeth, don't do this. No, no you can't do this to me. I'm sorry okay? It's my fault I should have never…"

She interrupted his speech with her dying words. She was fading fast. "You are my first love... And now you are my last." She struggled as the words slipped from her mouth. Elizabeth was losing excessive blood from her wounds. There wasn't much time left to speak. She was bleeding too much too quickly.

"Anna, no stop! Please don't go. How can I keep my promise to you when you're gone?"

"You've fulfilled your promise. You're by my side just like you said." With a light smile she slowly raised her hand to his face to feel him one last time. "I love you," she whispered. "I love you more than you'd understand."

"Anna, I love you. I love you. I'm sorry I haven't told you that. I'm so sorry for everything."

"It's alright. Kiss me, kiss me before I go…" Tears rolled down her face as she looked into his soul. A tear finally escaped his eyes as he held her in his arms. He gladly lifted her closer and with the gentlest of touches, he kissed her rained drenched and cold lips. There he stood in the cold rain as they kissed.

..

Anna's hand slowly dragged down his chin, her lips slowly stopped kissing. Booker opened his eyes and to his horror, she was passing. Her hand fell and dangled in the wind and her blue irises started to dilate as she began to pass away. Her mouth slowly opened and her body went limp. Then, her lids drooped and as life left her body. Booker stared into her dilated eyes and shouted, "Anna! No, no Anna! You can't leave me. Don't go!" he began to sob as his love left him. Booker fell to his knees with Anna in his arms. He pulled her lifeless body close to his and cried on her shoulder. "Anna!... Anna!" he shouted as she sobbed. "Anna!"

..

His life with her flashed before him as he held her tightly. All of the memories, all of their adventures together flooded his mind all at once. He shook his head in denial and refused to believe that she was gone. His tears finally rolled freely down his cheeks, dripping onto Anna. He remembered their time in Columbia and their times here in Paris that he took for granted. "No, no no no!" he whispered through his grinding teeth. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry…" The pain he felt, the sorrow, and the deep regret pushed him to scream. Booker looked to the sky and from the bottom of his heart he yelled. With all of his lungs could produce, he screamed in pure agony. He looked back at her body empty of her soul. Through sobs and tears he leaned closer to give a kiss. Her lips cold. Her body was a shell of what she was. It was too difficult for him to go further and in his suffering sobbed more. "Anna… If I could I would make things right. I should have never told you I didn't love you."

The sharp and deep hurt of loss triggered an emotional change from within him. He felt this way before but exponentially worse now that Anna was gone for good. Twice he has lost her, and twice it was because of his own hands. The guilt started to affect him in a mysterious way. He no longer felt any presence of morals but an overflowing feeling of remorse. The regret began to crush his spirit and with great and immense pain, he screamed the name of his daughter, pronouncing the death of his beloved to the heavens. Lighting flashed and thunder rolled as his voice echoed through the streets. The torrent of wind and water grew heavy, dousing all that was caught in its flurry.

Evelyn watched it all with an unwavered spirit. She was not moved one bit but as a matter of fact, she was pleased. Pleasantly satisfied of Elizabeth's death, she slowly walked over to Booker. Her heels clopped along the way. With a devious smile, she approached him. As she drew near, Booker turned his face to the lady with the evil expression. Instantly, his anger skyrocketed. He demanded an answer from her, "Did you set us up?! Did you cause this?"

"I've come to a different way of thinking. After all the bother of trying to change things, one wishes that one had not. You can call me a fatalist but I do believe it was for the best. I'd imagine you'll understand."

_What? I… I recognize that speech. How?_

"I believe I owe you at least some form of explanation. My name _is_ Evelyn, however not Evelyn Bennett," she added. Evelyn was cold and calculating. Her demeanor changed. It was all a plan.

"Your child must not live. It was disappointing to see her go but it was necessary."

"What?! I don't understand. You, you can't be!" Booker turned his attention to his Anna whom laid in his arms. "Anna…" he said as he shed tears from his eyes. He reached up to close her eyes with his hands. He couldn't believe that she perished right before him. He rested his head on her shoulders and cried. The confusing feelings of anger and hurt pulled and tugged at him. He couldn't decide whether to stay by her side or to take revenge on Evelyn. The feelings became too much. He cried as he held her tightly. The truths became over bearing. He couldn't take it anymore and with one last effort, he screamed.

..

Booker bolted up and furiously shouted his daughter and lover's name. He found himself covered in sweat. He heaved heavily as he realized he was back in his living room. "Anna!" he shouted once more. He looked out the window to see that it was bright and sunny and quite early in the morning. _The rain. It all felt so real._ "Anna" he said as he went to rub his face. _Was it real? It had to have been. I can't believe she's gone. I must have fainted or something. How long was I out?_

Then a sweet voice entered his ear bringing with it relief and gladness. "Booker? What's wrong?" Anna mumbled as she crept out of her slumber. With gladness he quickly glanced over to his side to see that it was her, alive and well. "Anna! You're… You're alive! How? I don't understand."

With grogginess in her voice she muttered, "Of course I am. What's going on?" He was overjoyed and immediately placed his hand on her belly. She was confused as she saw him pat her several times. He proceeded to quickly lift her nightgown to reveal an unharmed body. "You're okay! Anna, you're okay!" he spouted with over joyous relief. _It was all just a dream! _He thought. "Booker?" she inquired with confusion. She then thought to herself as she became less groggy, _I haven't heard him say my name like this in so long…_

Booker then immediately hopped off the couch to kneel before her. Perplexed and honored, she sat up to listen to his words.

"Anna, darling. I am so sorry for what I said yesterday." Her eyes brightened quickly and a light smile took over her lips. "I am so sorry for not loving you the way I should. I've never been so wrong. When you asked me if I love you, I do. I do love you." Her smile turned wider and eyes warmed. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Anna placed her hand on her forgiving heart. She was incredible and Booker finally had realized it. With Booker apologizing, she asked, "But, what made you change your mind overnight?"

"I see clearly now. Here, how about this," he said as he leaned in closer to her lips. With a quick utterance, "Anna, I love you," he kissed her. Pleasantly surprised, she closed her eyes to enjoy his affection. Her body quickly grew soft and limp for this was everything she wanted. It had finally came. Booker had finally won and defeated his greatest enemy. Morality haunted him like Songbird, stopping him at every turn until the day Booker finally defeated him. His morals pursued him exactly like Songbird. There was no difference. In the vast infinite parallel universes, something or somebody always takes a form of another, whether it'd be tangible or intangible. He had defeated Songbird twice, and for good.

Booker parted to see Elizabeth's puckered lips. He adored that about her. She couldn't get enough of his affection. He watched as she slowly opened her eyes and smiled at her. With excitement in his voice, he spoke, "Anna, stay here. I gotta do something. I have a surprise for you."

It had all happened so fast; the change of heart, the kiss, and a surprise. She was still processing the wonderful information and was left speechless. She searched for words as she watched him walk toward the door. Anna quickly stood to her feet and briskly walked to him, "Kiss me, kiss me again before you go."

He smiled as how his dream and reality correlated. It was no coincidence. With a chuckle he caressed her soft face and leaned in to present her a good long lasting kiss. Soon after he confidently smiled at her as he walked out. Her smile was wonderfully beautiful and warm. She stood at the doorway watching him speed off into the bright and sunny Parisian streets. She slowly closed the door and thought to her happy self, _this entire weekend has been crazy. I think we'd be better off, us DeWitts… If we could just run away and never look back._

Booker made his way through the busy streets and to the shop where he first met the clerk. _I get it now. I understand. The stuff he gave me, it helped me see. _When booker arrived on a bridge where he could see the store at a distance, he realized it was still closed down. The store was actually being renovated for another a different owner. The sign that once said 'Lonnie's confectionaries and souvenirs' was gone. Booker sighed and stopped on the bridge. "When I don't need the guy, he's around but when I need him he goes missing. Of course." Booker contemplated his next move. He had a surprise for Anna but wanted to speak to the mysterious store keeper first. He leaned on the stone railing and stared at the river with a smile. _I suppose he was helping me._

"Looking for someone in particular?"

Booker quickly spun to gladly see the clerk smoking his pipe and holding a leash with a puppy. He chuckled when he saw him and spoke, "There you are. You were trying to help me. I guess it didn't make sense until now. Hey, I just wanted to say thanks."

The clerk tipped his head in acknowledgement and replied, "Nothing convinced her to stop loving you; not your hideous beard, not morality, not another person for her, and not even another person for you."

"I suppose you're right," Booker replied

The clerk added, "The path to complete morality is not always clear. Sometimes you have to do what's wrong to do what's right." Booker nodded in agreement as he looked at the beautiful sky.

"The one thing she had that you never had, separated you and her."

"And what was that?" Booker asked.

With a chipper tone he responded, "Loss! She lost you but you have never lost her, until today metaphorically speaking. Six years DeWitt, six years she has lived in miserable depression, branding herself in the process."

"So I had to know what it was like not have her…"

"In order _to_ have her. You are brighter than you look my boy!"

Booker scoffed and smiled at his comment. He crossed his arms and leaned on the railing, readying his ears for the clerk's next set of words.

"True love trumps all. Don't trade an ounce of morality for a pound of love"

Booker looked to clerk and finally asked for his name, "Who are you?"

With a pleasant smile, he replied, "I thought you would have figured that on your own. My friend, you can call me Lonnie." With that, he handed Booker his leash. "I believe this is what you're looking for as well."

Booker was surprised again. Lonnie never ceased to amaze him. He spoke in bewilderment, "How did you know I planned to get one? Speaking of which, how did you know everything?"

Lonnie turned and started to slowly walk away while smoking his pipe, "I don't claim to know everything DeWitt. I am Frances's most renowned philosopher. We philosophers know more than most." Then Lonnie stopped to glance back at Booker and stated one last comment, "I may have been… an artist, at one point in life… or another." He winked at Booker and proceed to walk away.

Booker blinked at in confusion at his words. He reached down to pick up the adorable puppy. With a smile he held her in his arms. _A girl huh? Anna would love this. She always a wanted a fluffy one. _Booker started to make his way back home. He was full of excitement and happiness. Finally, he was victorious. He thought about her joyful face. He couldn't wait to surprise her. _So it was all a dream. It felt so real. The stuff he gave… It was all a plan. _Booker thought about making love to Anna. Interestingly but unsurprisingly, his morals were absent. He felt no shame or guilt. With all of the change that happened within him, he realized that he had been calling her Anna and not Elizabeth. A victorious smile shined from his face as he happily made his way back.

..

As Booker opened the door to his house, he was greeted with wonderful music playing from Anna's phonograph. La Vie En Rose… The pleasant fragrance of delicious a French meal pleased his nostrils. Things were now perfect. "Anna!" he called as he waited at the door. Anna joyously walked from the kitchen to greet him. Her precious expression was priceless when she laid eyes on Booker and his gift. She instantly covered her mouth in amazement. Her eyes were brighter than the sun over Paris. Her smile was wider and more beautiful than ever. She gasped and squealed in pleasure as she ran to her lover. "Oh my god, father! She's beautiful!" she said as she held the puppy and hugged her. Anna closed her eyes in delight in receiving something she had never asked for. Her happy expression brought Booker complete fulfillment and happiness. Anna was elated. She was thrilled to be in Paris with her lover and a puppy. She couldn't have been happier. "Does she have a name?" she asked. "I haven't chosen a name. I left that or you."

Anna squealed in delight again and spoke, "I'll name her Ellie! Short for Eleanor! Or how about Sally? What do you think?" Booker stood there and thought for a second and chose Sally. Anna kissed Sally on the head, hugged her, and spun in happiness. "Anna this is my apology, darling. Please accept…" Before he could finish she leaned in to kiss his lips, silencing his unneeded apology.

..

Later on that night after they had their fill of food and joyous laughter, they conversed on the bed. Their day was full of romance, fun, and relaxation. They spent a full day inside the house, resting from the nonsense that happened over the weekend. Their adopted pet, Sally, slept in the floor in her corner. Anna snuggled into her lover's embrace. Booker broke the silence with his voice, "You know you got me thinking. What you said yesterday about Columbia and music from the future, got me a little worried. How could it still exist? And how did they get a song from the future? Are there still tears around?" Anna looked up at Booker and placed her finger on his lips, shushing him. She crawled on top of him and whispered, "Shhh, you ask too many questions." Her smile was sensual and her eyes hazy. Booker immediately knew what this meant. He smiled and looked into her eyes as she whispered again, "Tonight we'll dance, I'll be yours and you'll be mine. We won't look back for now." She leaned in slowly to kiss the love of her life. Booker was finally free. In all his freedom and happiness, he wrapped his arms around her as they passionately kissed.

..

That night in Paris, they consummated their love purely, unadulterated, sensually, and exotically without boundaries.

..

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I hope you guys enjoyed it as much or more than I've enjoyed writing it. This is my second to last chapter. The sea of hope that separated them has now been crossed. He finally reached her with the fullness of himself. She receives the love she deserved. Stay tuned for my next and final chapter. I know it's sad. I want to continue but this sequel focused on Booker's struggle and their relationship. I know you are wondering about Lonnie, Columbia, Rapture, and Evelyn. Well I left that ambiguous for a reason ;) Most likely in my third addition to the Loveshock will I explain it all; If I choose to write it. Thanks for reading and review/favorite/follows.


	8. Sex, Mysteries, and Murders Part I

First I want to apologize for the extremely long delay in updates. Here it is. Standard length that I always provide :) I looks like there will be an additional chapter after this. Thank you for patiently waiting. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Sex, Mysteries, and murders**

**Part I**

Smoky from the odor of cigarettes, Booker stood up from his seat with motivation to circulate the air. He never minded the smell of burnt tobacco but seemed to have cared more recently. This was all due to his baby that shall eventually arrive. The thick grey haziness permeated his office as he made his way to his old ceiling fan carrying the intention to initiate its motor by a yank on the dangling cord. With an uncordial motion, he flicked his wrist activating the squeaky fan. Silently, he stood beneath its radial motion and contemplated a new mystery that perturbed his experienced mind. His eyes scanned a request paper in his hand, intricately studying its clues. For some very odd reason, disturbances of irregular objects, mysteries, and crimes has populated his office, covering his desk with special requests. He squinted as has noticed numerous amounts of requests all pertaining to this matter. With a concerned eye and a thoughtful mind, he read the details of the creased paper:

"Request #241 – Dept. Prefect of Paris: Mr. DeWitt strange occurrences of death from mysterious weapons of unknown origins. Coroner baffled. Autopsy revealing peculiar results. Please look into this matter as soon as possible."

His mind perplexed from a mystery that wasn't easily solved within minutes of reading, he slowly paced back to his wooden desk to lean on its ledge. Booker's thoughts were heavy. It seems to never end for him; he is constantly in considerable thought. This new challenge might pose too heavy; the gravity of its demands, its tensing and rising circumstances might prove too much even for a Paris's best detective. All of the critical thinking pushed him to extract yet another cigarette from his pack located in the scattered mess of a desktop. The air was already permeated with smoke but his complex algorithms that were preset in his mind triggered an automated craving for a cigarette whenever certain stressful situations arose. A mild pause stopped him from flicking the lighter while he stood and second guessed his action. It was about time for him to kick the dirty habit and to completely turn a new leaf. He stared at his hanging stick of consolidated cancer and pondered igniting its end. His hand hung frozen in as he remembered the precious child that was on the way.

Sounds of knocking echoed through his office from his wooden door. The blurred and frosty glass window plastered on his office entrance revealed a feminine figure. Booker nonchalantly glanced over its direction without much care of discovering who desired entrance. The hour was early and he was far from ascertaining enough patience to deal with pesky couriers and postal ridden mailmen. Whatever it was, it could wait. His preoccupied brain dismissed the chance of someone with high importance appearing and reloaded his focus on the paper before him. Yet again, the sound of knocking continued which drew out a breath of mindless dismissal, "We're not opened yet!"

The obnoxious sound was replaced by silence and Booker heaved from relief as he tried to reread the paper. Another unexpected noise tickled his ears, completely breaking him from his train of thought and enabling him to divert his attention to his cursed wooden door. It creaked loudly as it swung open to unveil a surprisingly pleasant sight: Anna. The image of his beloved at his office quickly drew a smile from his lips as he attended to her warm appearance. Not needed, however her presence was welcomed either way; he was pleased to have her delightful fragrance and beautiful demeanor grace his office. "Anna," he optimistically uttered while storing his cigarette as he waited for her approach. "What brings you to my office?"

"Bonjour mon amour!" Anna happily replied as she closed the door behind her. She briskly walked over to her lover and presented him a gift of warm love through a hug. Booker gladly accepted her affection and remained in that position until she was finished, smiling as he enjoyed her company. "Wasn't expecting to see you," he started. Anna quickly retracted her hug and finished her affection with a lovely smooth. Afterword, she swiftly made her way back to the door to ensure it was closed. She leaned her head on the door, intently listening to anyone whom could be outside eavesdropping and erected her index finger at Booker, motioning him to hush just as he hung opened his mouth to speak. Anna then locked the door and quickly made her steps back to him. He raised an inquisitive hand at her, silently asking for her intentions. With a spoken voice, she answered, "Father we need to talk. Some odd things are occurring." Booker raised his brow and placed the paper on his desk to freely fold his arms in curiosity for her explanation. "I'm seeing strange... things around. I-I don't know what to call them. They're like tears, but they're not and they are appearing everywhere. The people are becoming uneasy."

As always, Booker responded with an unenthusiastic grunt. Anna continued, "I know you've noticed that things aren't of the norm. I fear the worst. Booker, I think the convergence of all possible universes is collapsing this one."

"You mean the doors you used to see?"

"Yes! I'm seeing things that don't belong here, things that are of the future. Remember the music from the ball? I heard it in Rapture."

"So what exactly are you saying?"

"This world and all that we know will become something that we won't recognize."

With an audible groan he responded, "It's too early in the morning for this," before he fell onto his office chair, gazing at the squeaky ceiling fan. Anna sat on the edge of his cluttered desk and commented through her observation, "Your desk looks a mess. I should come here and clean it more often." Booker acknowledged her comment but leaned back on his chair to heave a deep sigh of loaded stress. He stared at the ceiling; his mind entangled by the weighty start of the week. It was a hell of a weekend and looks to be a start of a crazy week.

Her eyes noticed a peculiar note scattered among the pile of papers. Curiously, she reached over, picking up the light rose colored paper to inspect it. The pinkish hue dyed paper screaming for attention missed Booker's notice but instead caught hold of Anna's sharp and brilliant mind. Instantly, she scrunched her lips followed by a furious frown when her meticulous eyes noticed a kiss mark in bright red plastered on the corner. A disgusted scoff of jealous frustration shot from the back of her throat, drawing the attention of her lover. "Hm? What's that?" he questioned. Anna read aloud from the note with a disgruntled voice, "Hello, dear! I hope you hadn't forgotten about me. I'll be at the fated bridge waiting for you when sun is at its highest." She sneered at the final words from Evelyn, "Love Evelyn."

"Doesn't she know when to quit?" Anna groaned with irritation as she tossed the note at the trash can. He watched as the reminder flew into the garbage bin with lightning quickness and commented on her jealousy, "I see that you're no fan of the lady."

"I would consider myself more of an enemy. Something tells me we will be seeing her much more often then I'd like."

"You and me both," he nodded as he slowly reached into his shirt pocket for the pack of cigarettes, pulling one out and inserting it between his lips. As he patted himself for a lighter, Anna plopped her bum on his lap, consolidating his diverted attention to her blue eyes. She sassily plucked the unnecessary cigarette from his mouth and leaned in close to his lips to smoothen his ears with a sensual whispered.

"She can never have you as long as I'm here."

His eyelids sagged from the sensuality of her feminism while he enjoyed her soft touch upon his chest. With a newly relaxed posture, he welcomed her affection as he withdrew a deep breath, remembering his euphoric encounter. "You were fantastic last night," said Booker. A statement of appreciation always went well with her, especially from Booker, thus enticing her to swing her leg to his other side, positioning herself erotically on his lap. Her stocking covered thighs hugged his waist as she leaned on his chest while carrying an alluring smile. "Well, I am a part of you. A daughter should be just like her father shouldn't she?" whispered Anna as she kissed him. She was arousing his raging animal instincts again just like the night before, raising his blood pressure and boiling his chauvinistic urge. He hadn't noticed his hands tightly grasping her bottom. He figured it must have been why she let out a moan as they kissed. Incredibly glad that she entered his office and turned up the heat, he followed his instincts and pulled down the top parts of her dress, exposing her slim figure and smooth skin. Booker did so with eyes closed and lips kissing fervently. He was a master at sex and his daughter was intrinsically just as capable. She had already unbuttoned his shirt without his knowledge. The strings of her corset started to become unfastened as he tugged at the ends. Little by little, her snug corset became open and loose. With much desire to be encased in her soft and welcoming bosom, he parted lips and delved into her petite frame. Booker sprinkled her chest with kisses; his smooth shaven cheeks nudged her breasts as he peppered her womanly body. She exhaled delight from her parted mouth as her senses pleased her with enjoyable gratification. Anna's perfume was mesmerizingly sweet. The scent of flowers, fresh sky, and lavender entered his system; a smell so clean and so feminine, it urged him to suckle on her nipple. The tingling sensation of his velvet tongue caused her chest to rise in excitement, inhaling his affection as she breathed. The shot of sexuality motioned her to lean back and observe her father's face as she slowly retracted her dress. It was thin and shorter than usual, enabling Booker to catch a glimpse of her slit as he peered down between her legs. Gradually, she pulled it high enough to reveal her spot freshly shaved and smooth. His eyes widened as he pleasantly realized she sported nothing beneath her garter belt.

He saw that her clit was swollen, ready for provocation and excitement and her slit was glistening with her moist juices. She was always the one soak in the presence of his love. Her body was more than ready for him; it wanted him again. Its unquenchable thirst beckoned for its partner to come out and play. At this moment, he was harder than a rock and larger than a pipe. Her hormones were through the roof; thus encouraging her to do something extremely sexual. She eased herself off of his lap and kneeled down before him, deviously smiling during the process. Booker's eyes brightened as he saw her attempting what he thought she'd never do again. He couldn't believe how lusciously sensual she was; she had her mother beat by a long shot. With likewise pace, she unzipped his pants and his erect cock sprung out from the gap, towering up past her nose. She gazed into his amazed eyes as she slowly slithered her wet tongue from her lips. He huffed in astonishment, watching as she hovered in closer. First the tip of her tongue on his shaft, then the rest followed. Slowly, she glazed her way to the top leaving a trail of slippery saliva dripping down his solid dick. She remained eye contact until she reached the tip of his cock.

"God damn Anna, where did you learn this?" he murmured as he watched in amazement.

Encouraged and motivated to please from his compliment, she swirled her tongue all around him. It felt good to Booker and eventually she closed her eyes in attempt engulf him. He was completely blown away at her effort. His body was beginning to melt as he experienced an explosive mixture of exciting pleasure and relaxing euphoria. "Fuck…" he gasped. "Your mother would never do this."

She pushed in deeper, encasing him in a warm and silky wet cocoon. Her lips transformed into the pearly gates of heaven as he shut his eyes to experience his dreamy state of erotic bliss. It felt so wonderful to him as she slowly retracted, allowing him to feel her tongue along his cock. It was her second time in her life giving a man pleasure with her mouth and she was spectacular at it. She wouldn't have preferred any other man except her father inside filling up her orifices. Urges wild and filled to the brim with lust, she increased the speed in which she licked him. Along with her effort, she began to suck, topping off her fantastic display with a cherry on top. Kissing noises were made when she would retract completely, sending Booker to another world. Again she swallowed him, tingling his senses and warming his cock from the cool air of his office. He was accelerating high up in the pleasures-sphere faster than usual. The quick movements of head loosened her hair which dropped and covered her face. He wanted see his dick enter and exit her mouth so he brushed aside her lengthy hair from her face. Again instincts led his hand to her head, creating a handful of hair as he gripped. He tasted so delicious to her, a delicacy and she was glad to have him back inside her.

Last night's pure unfiltered loved awoken a need deep from within her body that she wasn't aware of. She didn't know that she'd be slurping his cock that morning. The sex deprivation as caused her to be an even more sexual deviant, licking and sucking as she went along. It was so dirty to have her father's cock inside of her mouth and she loved it, craved it. His precum tasted like sugary nectar as it crept from his tip. She greedily swallowed any tiny amount that escaped while his cock slid and in and out.

Anna felt a tug which overflowed her lust filled body and loved it when Booker was rough and craved him to do more, to handle her like his property. With eagerness, she started to suck and lick harder from the fuel he threw to the fire. The motions of her head and the pleasure it brought as he slid in and out of her mouth forced him to grip his chair. She was quite pleased with herself, since it was her first actual time leading him in sex without her pussy. Knowing that Booker entered into her pussy and mouth satisfied her but she wasn't completely content. She wanted him to fill up all her spots and won't be happy until he came inside every sexual hole of hers. There was one more and she needed him there too. She wanted him to consume her like and ocean, filling up and taking all she has to offer. She wanted, needed him to enter her there. It was so naughty, even naughtier than what she was doing but she had to have him. She craved that for him to claim his territory, to mark what is his. She was his doll, his toy to do whatever he wanted with her and she desired for him to roughly shove it in. She couldn't hold back her sexual drive and released herself from sucking his dick. Her heart was beating loudly, pumping her body full of sex energy when gave him the look of a seductress.

Overtaken but lust, she quickly hopped back unto his lap and guided him to her warm cunt. Booker held onto her long hair with his left and gripped her butt his with right, squeezing as she readied herself to be penetrated. He nipped and kissed her soft and small neck as his prepared to be inside of her. She had heated his body and revved his engines from her delightful surprise and was going to surprise him yet again, but this time blow his mind. He felt his tip slide down past her clit and between her tight plump cheeks, resting at the opening of her ass. The new sensation immediately flung open his eyes and caused him to stutter, _"T-That's your…"_

"_Take me father,"_ she begged. "_Shove it inside me. I'm yours," _Anna muttered as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She bit her bottom lip from the incredibly erotic image of him pumping her ass while she slowly lowered her body onto his magical rod and to her amazement she felt a rush of new sensation. _"Ssshit!"_ Booker whispered through his teeth as he felt his tip wedge its way in. Her prude mother would never think of this yet, Anna courageously tried without hesitation. He had never felt this before and shut his eyes hard from the unbelievable feeling that accompanied such a dirty act. Anna moaned loudly as the new filling sensation brought a different, sharper, and more direct pleasure. She had thought there would be pain but to her wonderful surprise, it felt amazing almost better than inside her pussy. She smiled at how good it felt. _"Do it! Shove it in there, I want it deeper!" _

Booker tugged on her hair from the rush of adrenaline, tilting her head back and exposing her vulnerable throat. Without any discretion, he hastily nibbled her neck and didn't hold back. She had drawn out the animal in him and without any consideration of steadiness, he pushed her body down, ramming his entire cock inside her. She loudly gasped from the shock of the intense new euphoric feeling, "Oh my god!" Her breathing started to stutter as she tried to process this new surge of exotic information. "Sweety, I'm sorry!" Booker apologetically exclaimed as he realized he might have went too far but Anna responded in a surprising manner, "Booker, it's okay. I like it!"

"_No, I love it!"_ she excitedly gasped as she slowly lifted her body and lowered it, starting a rhythm of sex. "Holy shit!..." Booker said as he grinded his teeth while watching her slowly bounce. He had finally took every opening she had given, truly takin her virginity. It was so raunchy and naughty but it felt so right, just like their relationship. He fit perfectly in her ass and slid in and out without any friction. She was made for him, her pussy, mouth, and ass was made for him. Her moaning intensified as her pleasure increased. It was a new found hunger, an appetite that she might have built a preference for so she increased her speed, pleasuring both of them. It just kept getting better with every second. She started to squeal from its delectable and forbidden taste. Booker had never seen or heard her entangled in this much euphoria. _Is she cumming?_ He wondered as she bounced on his lap, slapping his legs with her cheeks. _"Oh my god! Oh my god!" _she squealed as her mind and body was warping to arcadia. Her ragged breathing twisted into heavy panting as she was went faster, releasing her delighted breath into the air.

Booker reached and grabbed her cheeks in rhythm with her motion, aiding her their sex. He was still loaded with disbelief and closed his eyes, living in the moment of her awesome newly discovered abilities. She was definitely better than Annabelle, _God she is so much better than her mother. I can't believe I'm fucking her ass._ Her moaning and squealing could be heard from behind doors but she showed no care. She was too enveloped in their exotic sex to mind her reality. Every inch that slid inside of her, brought her pleasure beyond comparison. She was addicted to him and needed his hot and thick cock inside there every day. "_Fuck, it feels so good!"_ She moaned. Booker rarely ever heard her curse but somehow her vulgar word enticed his desire. She was a woman of sizzling sexuality, a mistress. Never had he thought he'd chauvinistically enter her there. What a mind fuck. His strong muscles assisted in her bouncing, enabling her to hop faster and enthralling them in thrilling senses. They had never participated in the forbidden of this level but it felt damn good for both of them. The DeWitts we're definitely not normal and far from perfect but hell they were perfect for each other. The way Anna's nipples poked and rubbed on his bare chest as she swayed up and down was fuel to his spirit and energy to his drive. He couldn't have asked for a better mate; his daughter.

By this point, they were covered in dripping sweat. The cool air surrounding them provided a cool breeze as the fan circulated the sex scented atmosphere; adorning their senses with polar extremes. Her hair was damp from her sweat but nothing compared to her groin. Below was an ocean of overflowing juices. Her slit and ass was wet with their sweet honey. Her clitoris throbbed and pulsated, pleading for attention next. This of course filled her mind with dirty and naughty thoughts. She loved that he was filling her ass up, stretching it wide and ignoring her pussy. _I'm so dirty. God I love it._ The innocent girl he once knew had transformed into a sexual woman, a goddess. Not even Aphrodite could compare to her. Drops of sweat dropped onto his cheeks from her chin, splattering as it hit and cooling his body.

Her feminine voice was more heavenly than a choir of angles as she drew near to orgasm, filling his ears with music. Her climax was within reach and Booker was going to lead her to her new heaven. Charged with an electric pulse he took control of her movement as her toes began to curl. _"Booker! I-I'm coming!" _she pleasurably exclaimed while being captivated by a swarm of feverish ecstasy. Her hot sweaty body curved as the magical essence possessed her system, taking her away to a dreamy and euphoric trance. An intense squeal escaped as she struggled to breathe. She gripped his back, anything that she could get her hands on as the fierce sensation consumed her body with a mystical flame. Her pussy started squeeze and spasm while her ass clinched. The intensity caused her thighs to press against his waist as she experienced her new climax. The force was an overload for her senses as she loudly moaned and scrunched her brows from the most direct orgasm she has ever had, causing her to whimper as well. Time seemed to have slowed to a stop as the seconds felt like hours. It lasted forever. Shivers ran up and down her body freakishly fast while her body experienced fire and ice simultaneously. Similar to flying, she felt her spirit soaring higher than the clouds, spinning as the seconds passed.

Anna froze on his lap to catch her lost breath and regain composure while she tightly hugged his body. He had out lasted her and was ready for more but she was still descending from her high-point. She panted from the most powerful orgasm she had ever felt. Her body collapsed on his as she buried her face onto his shoulder all the while heavily panting.

Booker smiled as he watched her tire herself from him. He felt a gush of masculinity pour into his system. He held her cold yet warm body and said, "I've never had better."

With a huff of air, she swallowed and leaned up and heaved, "I'm not done." In further amazement, Booker surprisingly raised his brows to her incredible stamina, "What?"

She lifted her bum to extract his cock from her gaping ass and inserted into her wet slit. Inch by inch it slipped in without resistance, pleasuring her as he entered. She rolled her eyes back as the familiar warm fire covered her body, sending tingles along her skin. With lips dripping of delicious honey, wet from their sex and her eyes shut of the world, she struggled for air. It was a raging appetite only her lover could dare quell. Her head tipped back, body curved, and her bottom lip between her clenching teeth; she released a moan that begged for him to mercilessly ravage her. She fucked like a no other but best of all she was faithfully devoted to her exclusive partner. Booker delved into the concoction of innocence and passionate sensuality, the best of both worlds; dwelling in its contradictory yet intoxicating swirl.

Her voice was so beautiful and stimulating. Her moans and gasping had Booker suckling and nibbling on her neck and squeezing her soft butt. She voiced her heart to him, telling him of how she felt, _"Booker, I-I love you." _

He leaned back to caress her face to whisper the same. Finally he could love her, absent of his morals, "Anna…" he murmured through his breath. "I love you too." She instantly fell in to kiss him in a passionate soul exchange. Their lips covering and writhing on each other as they traded their sweet juices.

They were going to last in their dreamy state if it wasn't for an external distraction. Anna would have rode Booker's cock like a champ until they came multiple times if it had been for an obnoxious and extremely inconvenient knock at his door. The pestering sound broke them of their trance, disturbing their exotic dance.

Booker glanced at his door only to be met with her eyes again as she adjusted his head and firmly pressed her juicy lips against his. He agreed from her motion that it should be ignored and closed his eyes to relish in their sex again.

But…

Suddenly the door creaked loudly as it swung open.

And in stepped the intruding and unwelcomed Charles. He was reading as he held several papers with one hand, the door knob with the other. Anna gasped in violation when she turned to discover someone she had no preference for. "What the hell?!" Booker called out as Anna tried to conceal herself.

Charles looked up, realizing the extremely awkward situation and immediately jetted his eyes and head back to the exit. "Oh! Pardon me! My sincerest apologies!" he hurriedly spoke as he closed the door. "God damn Charles…" Booker spat as he tried sitting up. "Booker, he can wait," she petitioned. It was not agreeable to Anna that they stop but Booker insisted for the detective might return. In great annoyance from his intrusion, she agreed and they quickly stood to their feet. Her hair was damp and her body was still moist from their sex, not to mention her dripping wet privates. Booker had a hard time stuffing his rock solid erection back into his pants; he didn't get a chance to finish. He struggled in frustration at Charles's invasion as he readjusted his pants. Anna held his hardness and kissed him after she softly spoke to him, "We'll come back to this tonight." Interestingly, she easily hid his rod back into his pants without effort and zipped his pants. Booker did likewise as he helped tie her corset, making her decent again.

..

Meanwhile Charles stood outside Booker's office wearing a troubling expression as he studied his reports. He paced around the lobby, passing other office doors as he read. The young detective switched papers back in forth in comparison and pondered the details until he stopped, flinched his head, and averted his eyes from another demanding thought. "Wait… Was that Elizabeth?" he uttered to himself as he stared out the lobby windows. "…Was she, was that her having sex with… her father?!" His studious expression turned horrified as he quickly returned to Booker's office, knocking as he asked, "Mr. DeWitt? I am quite concerned about you. May I come in?"

Booker's muffled voice was heard from behind the door, "Go ahead." Charles slowly opened to door due to his confusion and fear of intruding again. Anna sat on the couch cross-legged and arms folded, glaring at the man that rudely interrupted her private time. Charles avoided such confrontation and looked directly at Booker whom was lighting up a cigarette. He wanted to ask about what he saw but wasn't sure. He couldn't believe his eyes and the image was burned into his memory. It was extremely shocking, to a point where he had to ask.

Charles looked over to the frowning Anna. Her damp dangling hair resting on her shoulders and chest signified her sexual act with him. There was no denying it. He opened his mouth to speak but Booker caught his attention, "Good seeing you again Mr. Trenet. What can I do for you?" asked Booker.

He glanced back at Anna to see that she had focused her attention on something else and reverted his eyes to Booker as he walked forward. Booker stood up from his chair to greet the young man. His annoyance of Charles faded while he walked from his desk to his colleague.

"I have two very concerning thoughts, Mr. DeWitt. First we need to discuss this," said Charles as he held up his reports eye level, hinting for a second opinion.

"I'm listening," Booker nonchalantly spoke as he started to read the papers that Charles handed.

"Okay, look at these. Murder cases, odd ones at that. See here?" Charles pointed at a certain piece of information.

"It says: 'Death due to unknown causes.' I saw them, DeWitt, nothing like I've ever seen. The bodies? Mangled and twisted beyond recognition. My desk is riddled with requests of cases like these." Charles said as he expressed major unease. Booker furrowed his brows as his eyes scuttled around the details of each paper. His brain went to work to connect the links and clues. All the while, this had caught Anna's attention. She listened in on the conversation intently. "I managed to take a photograph. Here look at this," said Charles.

He retrieved a picture from his coat pocket and showed Booker. It was a picture of a dead body laden with nasty welts, bruises, lacerations, and other wounds. Body parts were missing and there seems to be large bumps on random parts of the body, misconstruing the person and rendering him unidentifiable. "Have you ever seen anything like this before?" asked Charles.

"No, never," Booker expressed with concern in his voice. "I've gotten the same requests you have. Something ain't right."

"Here, let me look," Anna said as she approached them. Her horrified face immediately reflected that of one seeing one's own dead friend. "It can't be!" she exclaimed. They both glanced at Anna's perplexing reaction and waited for her answer. "These wounds and mutations. I've seen them before. But that's impossible," she muttered as she studied the picture. "Booker, look over there in the corner next to the body." She pointed a peculiar object resting next to the cadaver.

"It's a sky hook!" They both stated simultaneously. Charles raised his brow, puzzled from their reaction and looked back and forth between them. "That's a sky hook alright," Booker confirmed as he tapped on the picture.

Anna added further, "But this body. It doesn't make sense. He looks exactly like those monsters I've seen in Rapture."

Charles asked in confusion as he realized this was familiar to her, "Sky hook? Rapture? Just a minute now, Elizabeth you've seen all this before?"

"Yes, a while ago," she replied. _That model of sky hook is the one from Columbia… But how? This can't be good. First I see things that resemble tears and now this?_

"Anna, what's going on? Tell me what you know," Booker asked as he exhaled smoke.

"Anna? What? Okay hold on. There is just simply too many mysteries to be solved here. Nothing makes sense right now," Charles said as he started to step away with his hands on his hips.

"First I find myself naked and holding a baby on the Eiffel Tower, which you never told me what exactly happened by the way. I get arrested. You, Elizabeth, embarrass me at the ball. Then, I get confused whether you are his daughter or not," he said as he pointed at Anna. "You get electrocuted. Both of you disappear. A mysterious guy by the last name of Cohen told me both of you are fine. I come my office to find the most disturbing and perplexing case I've yet to solve, 32 of them all at once to be exact. And _then _I walk in your office to find both of you… fucking." He looked back and forth between them with furrowed brows and pursed lips. He lifted up his hands in surrender and spoke once more, "I don't even know your real name or who you really are Ms. Elizabeth."

She answered quickly since she knew the detective would eventually bring this subject to surface. She sported a half smile as she talked, "My name is Anna. But you can call me Elizabeth. I'm his lover."

With his feet tapping on the floor, he responded, "Okay. We're getting somewhere. Wished you would have told me that in the beginning instead of saying you two were related."

"I'm also his daughter…"

Charles's expression was that of a sarcastic one. He hung his mouth open as he stared at both of them. There was awkward silence as before he asked again, "…Run that by me one more time."

"She's my daughter," Booker said as he wrapped his arm around Anna

Charles raised a brow as he hopped his eyes between Booker and Anna. He stuttered as he tried to produce words. This is not to mention the fluttering of his eyelids while he tried to make sense of things.

"So she is truly your daughter _and_ mate?" he asked with a skeptical and horrid face. Booker nodded his head while Anna, delighted from his answer smiled at him as she leaned on his chest. Caught off guard from a new discovery, he blinked several times and replied, "I've heard of kissing cousins but this is preposterous! You two were literally fucking before my very eyes!"

"We never asked for your opinion, Charles," Booker retorted. "I love her."

Anna's eyes brightened from the pleasing sound of his true words as she admired him. It was yet another confirmation that he had definitely changed for the better and permanently from the looks of things. She reinforced his statement with her own words, adding to the display of their illicit relationship, "Nothing will change that. We'll stay this way as long as we live."

Charles removed his fedora to rake his hair in great confusion. He widened his eyes at the disbelief of the odd facts.

"I've seen some strange things in my life but this certainly takes the cake! Okay now, there is just too much going on at the moment. I am simply going to pretend that you two aren't related for now. Listen, I have to go to the autopsy lab for further investigations. Bodies are piling up and the public is not happy. The police are scuttling about like aimless fools. We should work together on this one. I'll bring you further details if you need it."

Charles took his reports and headed to the door in a hurry, speaking as he left, "DeWitt, we will talk later. I leave that photograph with you. Let me know what you find."

"Well, that went better than I thought," Anna added while she made her way over to his desk. He however, stood in silence and thought of this new mystery, pondering what his next move should be; a visit to the police department or the autopsy lab with Charles. After he pocketed the photo for future reference, Booker crushed his cigarette in the ashtray by the couch.

"Booker, I heard him mention someone by the name of Cohen. That can't be coincidence. The only Cohen I know of was in Rapture."

"Oh, Cohen? That must be the last name of the guy I kept running into. He said his name was Lonnie."

Anna shuffled through his reports and special requests that littered his desk while she answered, "Who?"

"The guy that sat between Charles and me at the ball," he answered as he walked to his large filing cabinet filled with papers.

"We need to find out what's going on. Let's find this version of Cohen but first, Evelyn," she said as she pulled a particular report and folded it. Anna's expression was serious and determined. There was a final score to settle and a plan to bury her hopes and dreams was set in motion. Booker questioned why and insisted that Evelyn should be left alone and considered irrelevant but Anna did not warrant unfinished business. "Evelyn needs to know that she cannot have you. Obviously she missed the point at the ball. I won't be so passive this time." For a moment, he looked at her through the corner of his eyes and proceeded to open his filing cabinet.

The door unexpectedly creaked open again and Charles slipped his body halfway in. His hand gripped a wooden box. "DeWitt, you must have missed this when you arrived this morning, here," said Charles as held it out for his colleague to take. Booker eased his way over and grabbed the somewhat familiar box. It was wooden, and had a sigil he did not recognize engraved on its lid. The looks of it reminded him of what the Luteces handed him before he arrived at the lighthouse to Columbia. "When you two are done, you should come outside. You need to see this." His eyes reflected seriousness, urging them to hurry. With that, he nodded at the two of them and left, closing the door behind him.

There was a golden latch sealing the lid down and on it was a flimsy lock. Attached to the lock was a little note and Booker read it aloud, "Everyone has needs. I merely provide help for those who seek it."

"Who is it from?" Anna asked as she walked over to Booker.

"It says here, Lonnie Cohen. Must be the guy that's been helping me," He replied as he twiddled the lock.

"And just the guy we're looking for," said Anna

He handed her the box and said with confidence, "You know what to do."

With a smirk, she answered, "Really? This little lock?"

..


	9. Sex, Mysteries, and Murders Part II

Last chapter first. Afterword second. You asked for a long chapter, here it is :)

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**Sex, Mysteries, and Murders**

**Part II**

With the slightest ease, Anna popped open the tiny golden padlock with a click. Before she removed the lock from its small hoop, she decide to study the top of the flat box. An inscription was laid beneath a familiar emblem which held her attention the most. Since the words were carved into the wood, reading it was rather difficult so Anna tilted the container until light filled the crevices, making the words legible. "Property of Booker DeWitt. Sanctum Island – Elysium," she slowly read aloud. An expression of curiosity formed when she didn't recognize the enigmatic statement. "Where's Elysium? That's where this… Sanctum Island is. Have you been there before?" Anna asked. He replied likewise in unfamiliarity, "I've never even heard of that place."

The oddly familiar emblem pricked her mind and scrunched her brows in as she remembered what it resembled. The insignia was proudly carved in fine detail and Anna instantly recognized it and its profound significance. It was a lighthouse and she knew exactly what it meant: Constants and variables.

"Booker this symbol that's etched on here… It's a lighthouse."

"So?" Booker replied apathetically.

"That's right. I told the… other you." Anna murmured as concern began to occupy her mind, flooding her thoughts of Comstock, Andrew Ryan, and light houses. _So it's true no matter when and where. I guess there's always going to be a cycle of bloodshed. _She thought. _It will never end, will it? _With her fingers, she slowly traced the engraved image of the lighthouse while remembering what was, what is, what will pass. Her eyes began to brim with an unsettling glimmer as she took a deep breath. Booker caught wind of his daughter's worrisome expression when he noticed her deposition had changed. And with a caring voice, he addressed the very thought that made her worry, "Something's wrong. Tell me everything."

With the concerned tone of her voice she answered, "Constants and variables Booker. Let me explain."

"You said something along those lines when we were at the play."

"Yes. When I used to see all the doors and what's behind all of them, I used to see Comstock, you, me, and songbird. Things would be different, yet the same. Once thing I remember and know to be true is this: There's always a lighthouse, there's always a man, there's always a city. Rapture and Columbia, they were the same."

Booker leaned on his couch arm as she went about her exposition, listening intently and analyzing her words.

"They both had lighthouses and were both led by a man. And now, I think this other place might just be another repetition in the cycle: Elysium."

"I don't see a lighthouse anywhere."

"I have a feeling we will soon enough," said Anna as she removed the lock and began lifting the top of the box. To her inquisition, her curiosity spiked when its contents were revealed. There was a note, a key, two rings, and two seemingly peculiar electrical devices that resembled very small Accu-Vox. _These look like the audio diaries I've seen in Rapture. I wonder what type of device it is. _"Booker, come look."

He stepped over to where she stood to examine the contents within the wooden box and became puzzled as well. Booker automatically reached for the simplest object: the note, and proceeded to read it out loud.

"Mr. DeWitt, you and your dear love are now ready. I have completed my task in coming back by preparing my fond lovebirds for the future. You two needed to be synchronized by heart in union with each other's souls in order for a potentially better future, one where there was… is no death. The road ahead will be rather difficult, but I have faith in you and your daughter. You may find me where we last shared words, Pont de la Concorde."

"Hm," Booker grunted as he handed the note to Anna and picked up the key afterword. It was golden and elegantly designed. Its bow was large and had an image of a lighthouse adorned for decoration. There wasn't else much of interest and therefore, he replaced it the device.

Anna's keen attention to detail noticed there was writing on the back of the note so she flipped it to read. "Booker there's more to the note."

"Ms. DeWitt, I knew you would read this side afterward therefore I've prepared the details here. In the box you will notice a key, two rings, and two devices. The key is for when you arrive to the doorway to Elysium. The two rings are needed for something exceptional once entered. Plus, they make a great addition to your relationship, if you catch my drift. Lastly these devices shall act as your form of communication in the instance of trouble. Through the science of quantum entanglement, distance and time is of no concern. I'm quite proud of my invention! I call it the Quantum Entangled Particle Audio Loop Transmitter, or Q-Vox for short. Do be careful. We shall meet again shortly."

Anna thought to herself, _this version of Cohen must be smart as he was artistic in Rapture. _"I've read about quantum entanglement. Two particles that are referencing each other regardless of spatial differences."

_There goes my Anna again, _he thought. "Not radios?" said he as he looked at her with a face of confusion.

"No, I suppose these work like radio transmitters but we can talk to each other anywhere."

"Right, not radios," said he.

Booker examined the small handheld unit no larger than the size of a pear. It seemed sturdy and had only one button along its side. Without much care for the details of the Q-Vox, he stuffed it into his pocket and reached for the extravagant rings. Anna did so like wise and closed the box, laying it aside as she watched Booker observe the finely detailed golden rings laced with silver. They were elegant and beautiful, suitable for a king and queen. "Wonder what these are for," Booker said as he clenched his hand in attempt to pocket them as well.

Anna gently placed her hands over his, stopping him from pocketing the jewelry. He looked up to see a warm smile gracing her cheeks. Her eyes had become lovingly soft and welcoming. It was a reason he will soon come to realize. He watched as she took one of the rings from his palm and lifted his left hand. Slowly she slid it on his ring finger. Her blushing cheeks were bright, catching the attention of Booker as he smiled in return. If it had only been possible to hear Anna's heartbeat as she gazed into his eyes, Booker would have been able to hear her love filled rhythm. He had gotten the hint and with the other ring, he slowly slid the beautiful band on Anna's left ring finger. Her eyes began to moisten with tears of secret happiness as her smile brightened even more. Her tender heart was filled to the brim with warm love when she quickly leapt into his arms. She stayed in his strong yet soft embrace as she closed her eyes from the special moment. They had gotten so close to each other over time that they spoke love without a single word.

"I didn't tell you this yet, but you look beautiful today."

She had worn natural looking make up but still looked exotic and Booker noticed that she was glowing. Just like in Rapture, she had bright red lipstick, darkened eye shadow, perfectly plucked brows, and lustrously long lashes. The only competition in Paris was the gorgeous Evelyn which she planned on confronting very soon.

Anna couldn't help but kiss him when she released her hold around his shoulders. One kiss led to another which led to more smooching when Booker wrapped his arms around his hips, dangerously close to her bottom.

The creaky door swung open again and in popped the intruding Charles's head. "Mr. DeWitt! You really…"

The DeWitts abruptly broke away from their kissing, quickly turning their heads to the door to find a perpetually intrusive detective barging in.

"For the love of…" Charles blurted as he quickly turned his head away. "Mister and Miss DeWitt. It's urgent. You need to see this. Paris is a mess. Come quickly!" Right after he finished his hasted sentence, he left as quickly as he came.

"It sounds bad. Let's get outside to see what he's talking about," Booker said as he made his way over to his desk. Anna walked over to the coat rack and snatched the holster to toss it over to her lover, "Booker, catch." Without even a flinch of an eye or a glance in her direction, he reached his arm up to grab it. As he donned this gear, Anna grabbed his dual identical pistols and handed it to him. He pocketed several papers into his pockets after he grabbed ammunition laying around his cluttered desk. Before they were out the door, she delivered a quick peck on his lips and spoke in a hurried fashion.

"Let's be careful. I think things are only going to get worse from here on out."

He nodded in agreement and grabbed his trench coat but overlooked his fedora. They made their way out with Booker leading as she followed. "Should I lock it, father?" Anna asked right before she closed his door. "Don't bother. You locked it and Charles still came in. I should have told you it's broken."

As they walked through the building lobby, a sudden loud rumbling was heard and its following vibration was felt through Booker's shoes and her heels. She gasped when the noise penetrated the building, shaking the objects and paintings. "The hell was that?" Booker said as he tried to look out a window. "C'mon lets hurry. We'll find out once we get outside," said Anna as she picked up her pace, jogging as she sped down the steps. Booker followed closely behind, jogging along.

The moment she stepped outside, her eyes widened by the incredibly bizarre sight. A building across the street was strangely warping and transfiguring into a similar yet different mirror image of itself, shaking the ground as it fluctuated. Booker couldn't believe what he saw as well when he swung open the door. Charles and all of the other pedestrians were in shock from a sight they've never beheld.

"Oh my god! It's… transforming, like a tear!" she exclaimed as she watched it continually warp back and forth between its original shape and dimension to its multi-dimensional counterpart. "Anna, what's happening?"

"I-I don't know. I thought I was the only one who could see tears. But this is different. It's more aggressive!" The building violently shifted into its permanent figure, shaking the ground with its final rumble. There was silence among the bystanders and the DeWitts. Anna spoke immediately when her eyes recognized the red banner that draped messily from the windows and roof. "Look! Those pennants!" she said as she pointed.

"Vox Populi?!" Booker questioned in surprise.

"That entire building looks like it belongs in Columbia. Its design and architecture… There's no doubt about it. " she added. Suddenly, a body was forcefully thrown out from 5th floor window, crashing through the glass, sending its shattered shards in all directions. The crowd that had gathered around to witness the quantumly corrupted building all gasped when their eyes locked upon the falling body.

And with a loud thud, the body landed on the street along with the glass fragments. Bystanders screamed in horror as they saw the twisted and mangled body lay lifeless. "Ssshit!" Booker cursed as he saw the body splat on the brick ground. Charles, Booker and Anna ran to it in effort to identify. Strangely, the person's attire was that of the 1950's. There were multiple welts and mutations all scattered along cadavers head and arms. "It's a one of those twisted people from Rapture! I think they're called splicers. But I don't understand. Why did he fall out of a place that came from Columbia?"

"None of this makes any sense!" Booker announced as he looked back up to the broken window. "Huh? No… Anna watch out!" he shouted as he quickly pulled her away from the body. An oversized mechanical being had jumped through the window and was aiming to land where they stood. Charles bolted just in time before the monstrous creature slammed into the ground, launching chunks of brick and dirt all around, vibrating the very earth. At this point the people were frantically scattering about, screaming for their lives.

"Oh no! Booker it's a handy man!" she gasped as Booker stepped front of her and immediately whipped out his pistol. "I don't know how all of this is possible but I sure as hell ain't gonna let it cause trouble."

Charles hid in an alleyway and pulled out his notes but fumbled in the process from his fear. He tried to relax but the sound of the crowd screaming did not aid in his effort to calm his nerves. He had never seen such a monstrous thing, let alone anything tear-like. His hands started to quake uncontrollably as he tried write. The sound of gunshots startled him, causing his hand to fumble the pen. He stuck his head out to see Booker shooting at the creature. Charles widened his eyes in amazement as he couldn't believe how brave his colleague was. His bullets were all deflected as Booker sent a flurry of lead. They ricocheted and dug into the adjacent buildings, lamp posts, and such. One of the slugs was caught in its massive mechanical hands and the handyman flung it toward a woman who tried running for her life. A scream of pain came from her as she instantly collapsed to the cold ground. Anna gasped as she saw an innocent lady had been hurt and without hesitation, immediately rushed over to body, only to find it lifeless. "No…" she whispered as she witnessed innocent life stolen. The handyman's metal was simply too thick and tough for small slugs. Angered from the pesky shots, it released a thundering bellow before it leapt into the air at Booker. "Watch out!" she shouted.

Booker swiftly darted, dodging its ground shattering blow. He tumbled from its force but immediately got up to start unloading more shots. To Booker's surprise, Anna yanked his other pistol from his holster and began shooting at the handyman as well, adding to the flurry of death dealing lead. "Anna! Get back!"

"No! I'm fighting with you! Aim at its heart!"

Charles, full of fear but inspired as he watched the DeWitts fight, stepped out and aimed his pistol at the creature as well. With the handyman's heart locked on target, he unleashed multiple rounds. It was a maelstrom of bullets from three directions, all which converged on the center of the creature. The glass which protected the handyman began to crack from the force. It groaned loudly and jumped, latching itself on the side of a building.

"Wish I had some vigors right about now!" Booker shouted as he reloaded his pistol.

Off came a sign as the handyman tore it from the building. It roared again and with the swing of its arm, the sign spun at the DeWitts with high speed. Booker lunged at Anna, bringing her down to safety a split second before the sign had zipped past them, smashing into the ground. Booker immediately rolled over to resume his shots and Anna followed suit. Charles did likewise.

Finally the glass shattered, exposing its vulnerable organ. Bullets from the DeWitts and Charles sliced, and severed the valves of its grotesque heart. The puncture wounds caused a cardiac arrest and the handyman groaned from the pain and fell to the ground after losing its grip.

They rushed over to the fallen creature to ensure its death. As they approached it spewed out blood from its mouth and died. Anna took a deep breath and sighed as she was relieved it was over. Booker holstered his gun and inquired his lovers' health. "Yes, I'm okay," said Anna as she observed their situation. _How is all of this possible? Columbia, Rapture… I don't understand._

"Okay, I need an explanation for all this. You two seem to recognize this beast. What exactly is going on?" Charles demanded.

As he finished his question, ground began to rumble again. "Booker, it's happening again!" Several buildings around them began to undergo the intense quantum flux. The ground began to quake violently, shaking and vibrating all loose objects.

..

"The Eiffel Tower, look!" Anna pointed. Their eyes flicked over to the landmark to catch another terrible sight. The once proud statement of Paris now stood on fire, bent and crumbling as zeppelins encircled it, engorging it with flames and ammunition. "Unbelievable…" Charles uttered as he gazed upon the disaster currently set before their very eyes. Billows of smoke from neighboring buildings rivaled the Eiffel Tower in height as they stretched to the sky. There were plentiful airships all occupying Parisian airspace and none bore the title of friend. "What do we do?" asked Anna. Booker scrunched his face and replied, "C'mon we gotta go find this Cohen guy you're talking about." Off he ran with Anna following closely behind. "DeWitt! Where are you going?" Charles asked.

"Somewhere, just meet us on the bridge!" shouted Booker.

"There's more than one bridge in Paris, DeWitt!"

"Pont de la Concorde!" Anna corrected.

As they ran, they noticed more hail fire coming from above. More zeppelins somehow appeared from thin air and some were amassing at Notre Dame Cathedral. The public was wild with panic and confusion at this point in time. The sounds of rumbling, frantic chatter, and screaming were widespread through their home city. The blue sky that greeted the DeWitts with a bright 'good morning' had gradually darkened with smoke and fire. More airships appeared and immediately began to pulverize Paris with a fiery barrage of cannons. The structures easily caught on fire from the bombardment, sending people caught inside to their deaths. The airships that had converged overhead of the cathedral had laid down heavy fire over the old museum-like landmark, crushing it with aerial artillery.

Booker and Anna were running along the Siene River back to the bridge where Booker conversed with Lonnie. He wasn't sure he was going to find him there. Hell, the elusive philosopher would most likely play phantom and be absent but he had to try. Anna didn't know where Booker was taking her and was unsettled with all of the destruction and death that was before her eyes. Even the boats stationed in the river had a taste of the destruction and madness. Some of them had sunk almost entirely, which caught her attention. Debris riddled the streets and river, creating a mess of wood, stone, glass, and other materials. It was as if a great war was currently at play. There was chaos and panic ran amuck. Nothing made sense and they needed answers. As they ran, they spotted numerous buildings undergoing the same flux that they saw earlier. Some transfigured into buildings that were Columbian, and some from places unrecognizable. "What the hell is going on?!" he asked while they ran down the crowded river full of frightened and hurt people. "I don't know! But if what I said was right then we should…"

Unexpectedly, an incredibly thunderous boom shook the heavens and rocked the ground, shattering windows and quaking buildings. The shock of the tremor was massive, enough to knock the DeWitts off their feet along with everyone else. A forceful gust of wind rushed past them as well as dirt. People started to stammer; shouting and panicking again resumed. "Anna. You okay?" Booker asked as he helped her to her feet. "This needs to end. I can't have you getting hurt when you're gonna have a baby."

Anna stood to her feet by her lover's assistance. Her pregnancy's effects has been gradually amplifying over the weeks, causing fatigue. "I feel dizzy…" she admitted as she held on to Booker. The running and adrenaline has taken its early toll, forcing her to catch her breath. Water drops began to sprinkle where they stood. It wasn't rain however and Anna knew of this. As she held out her hand to catch the sprinkling droplets, she thought, _This is… No, I think it is. _She tasted the tip of her finger and to her perturbed realization, the salty taste confirmed her intuitions. As she softly panted in effort to regain composure, she looked up only to be filled with shock from an unexplainable sight. "I don't think we're going to have rest in a long while… Look…" she disappointedly spoke.

A sky scrapper towering hundreds of feet into the air casted an eerie shadow over them. Large glass tubes resembling skywalks jutted out from multiple points of the building. Water fell from its walls drizzling its perimeter with salty ocean water as the wind dispersed it. Booker was in complete disbelief as his gaze vertically crawled up the building, ending at the tip. _So what I thought is true. This isn't good, _Anna thought. She knew it was from rapture the moment she read a large sign that stated: Neptune's Bounty. "It's a god damn skyscraper! Where the hell did that come from?" Booker shouted in astonishment.

"Rapture, it's from Rapture."

"Wherever it's from, it's got nothing to do with us right now. We need to move on," Booker said as he held her. The skies were now orange and darkened from smoke columns and fire. This was just like when Columbia was raided by the Vox Populi. The skies then mirrored the skies now. Somehow, they exist and the DeWitts aim to find out.

"C'mon we gotta get some answers soon or we're gonna get roasted by those cannons," Booker exclaimed.

Before they could move, the structure in front of them unexpectedly blasted out bricks and dust from its corner as if an explosion occurred from within. A large armored beast crashed through the flying the debris and on its arm was a massive drill. It wailed loudly as it charged toward the adjacent building with arm and drill outstretched. There was a body impaled on the drill and the person was still alive, screaming in pain as his body dangled. With a powerful lunge, the beast dug its drill into the side of a wall, crashing through it as it kept on charging. There was dust and bricks everywhere. "Jesus! The hell was that thing?"

"That… was a big daddy," Anna explained. "Let's get out of here before things start to get worse," said she.

"Can you run?" Booker asked.

"I'll be fine. Let's go."

They started to run toward the bridge which was nearing. Cannon fire littered the skies as they made their way there, raining ash and rubble when it struck the structures. _This all happened so fast. Just an hour ago, the skies were blue. Now they're red with death and destruction, I can't believe it. It's happening all over again,_ Anna thought as she ran alongside Booker.

As they drew near the bridge, a handy man slammed the ground meters from them leaving a crater. Anna gasped as she tried to shield her face. The ground shook but Booker resisted losing balance and scooped Anna into his arms and dashed forward down the street. Being empty of any abilities and short of powerful weapons, he knew they were in no position to fight. The handyman chased after the DeWitts regardless of his retreat as a sign of surrender. "Father he's coming. He's right behind you!"

Booker ran as fast as he could while carrying her but another unexpected action led them to be shoved to the side. Someone had grabbed his arm and yanked him through a doorway into a Columbian building. "Hey! Hands off!" Suddenly, they felt the ground disappear and they found themselves sliding down a wooden slope. Anna yelped as all happened. The mysterious person hopped in after them and slid in pursuit. Booker held on to Anna closely as he could. The tunnel was short and when Booker felt his feet hit the floor he immediately set Anna down to whip out his pistol, aiming it at a dozen people who stood meters from him. They found themselves in basement filled with military utilities, weapons, and ammunition. There were crates and barrels full of guns and munitions. Wooden support beams ran along the dirt exposed walls and nailed on those beams were propaganda. It was a makeshift basement from the looks of things and the people resembled leaders of some sort. They were dressed in red and stood around a large table where a large map was laid. "Vox Populi!" Booker spat as he pointed his weapon at everyone who stood in behind the table. They stood, hardened eyes and firm in their position, fearless; a pistol pointed at them posed no threat. Their eyes were locked on Booker and Anna.

It was dimly lit by several lanterns that hung at the corners and an oil lamp from the table. It was silent for no one spoke first. Right before Booker decided to ask questions, he felt a barrel to the back of his head, and the sound of a click. "Put the gun down!" a man snarled.

"After you," Anna said as she aimed her pistol at the man.

"Enough!" The voice came from a woman whom seemed to be the leader of the people gathered around the table. "Who are you and how did you find this place?" The woman demanded.

They slowly lowered the weapons and the man who stood behind Booker walked over to the table and spoke. "I found them running from those crazy oversized brutes. Thought I'd do em' a favor and save their lives."

The woman nodded and made her way around the table and stood in front of the DeWitts. It was dark and hard to make out faces. Booker stretched out his arm in front of Anna, motioning her to get behind him. One of the people had brought her an oil lamp, illuminating the three faces. The woman did not seem hostile; her expression was skeptical nonetheless. Booker and Anna held their guard likewise. _She reminds me of Daisy, _Anna thought. "Easy there. You're in the presence of friends. Civilians shouldn't run about the streets where it's unsafe. Name's Fink, Anya Fink. Who might you two be?"

As soon as the DeWitts heard her last name, they glanced at each other with a puzzled look. "Fink?" Anna whispered at Booker. He shrugged his shoulders as she whispered again, "This must be a different version of Jeremiah Fink," she added.

"Excuse me. Have we met before?" Anya asked.

Booker quickly answered, "I don't believe we have. Names Booker. This here's Anna."

"I see. Earlier you said 'Vox Populi.' I don't know of any Vox Populi so you might be in the wrong place. Well I'm glad my men brought you to safety. However, this is a restricted area. I believe the coast is clear now. I'll have someone escort you back outside." Anya casually walked back to her table as she motioned for one of her men to lead the DeWitts back up and out.

"Well this was an odd encounter," Anna muttered. One of the men waved at them to follow and the DeWitts agreed. "Yeah. We gotta find this Cohen guy fast," said Booker.

"Wait!" Anya proclaimed. Her voice drew their attention and they turned, awaiting her next response. "How do you know Cohen?"

"Just a guy I met couple days ago. We're supposed to meet him," Booker replied.

"For what?" she asked curiously.

"Hell if I know. I don't know who you people are. I don't even know what the hell is going on outside. All I know is, I want all this to end."

Anya crossed her arms a squinted her eyes, cautiously wondering if she should reveal them her affiliation. But matters at hand required her to trust them and so she did, "As I told you earlier, I'm Anya Fink. I'm the leader of the S. Domini, or short for Sanctus Domini."

Anna listened closely and studied all she said. _This must be some form of Vox Populi. I just don't understand why it's here… and why it exists._

"We're the resistance against the oppressive Columbian government. We're the strength of the people, people like you. Thought you were Columbian police at first, glad I was wrong. We've been fighting a losing war. For months, we've fought them but we're outmatched."

"Who is Cohen to you?" Anna asked.

"Cohen has been helping us in Columbia. Strange fellow. When look for him, he's nowhere to be found but shows up when you need him the most. He's never wrong about anything. He's been tellin' me to prepare for this place called Elysium. Supposed to be heaven above all heavens."

"None of this adds up…" Booker stated.

"You think this makes sense to me? One moment we were in Columbia, then next thing you know, everything starts dissappearin'. Come to find out, our reconnaissance center zaps to Paris. That's where you're standin' by the way. Who knows what happened to all the other floatin' buildings."

Booker crossed his arms as he listened to what she had to say. It was interesting however, confusing since the details didn't connect. _That doesn't explain a god damn thing._

"So those airships outside…" Anna questioned

"Ain't ours, if that's what you're askin'. That's the almighty pretentious Columbian Airforce, all under the command of Albert Fitzroy. Why are they attacking Paris? I don't know. I don't even know why we are even here. Must have something to do with what Cohen said."

_So Fitzroy is man and he's not leading a rebellion. What about Rapture? The splicers, and that big daddy? How did it all appear here? _Anna wondered.

The ground and walls began to rumble, shaking loose particles and chunks of dirt from the ceiling. The siege of Paris haven't subsided and the attacks continually pummel the city. The DeWitts saw that the situation was becoming desperate and they needed instructions; they needed to know what to do next. Finding Cohen was the next step but it was incredibly dangerous back on the streets. Things were only getting worse but they had to find the courage to venture on. Unfortunately for Anna, Evelyn would have to wait.

"Whatever business you have with Cohen, I suggest you get on with it. Things are only gonna get worse," Anya commented. "When you see him, send him my regards."

Booker and Anna were led through a path that returned them to the streets of Paris. The moments that they spent underground had shielded them from the events that had occurred. The situation had gotten much worse. There were dead bodies laid about. Some of them were Paris citizens while others were of Columbia and Rapture. Sinister laughter from splicers could be heard several blocks in all directions, causing the DeWitts to be on gaurd. The orange smoke filled skies were now filled with warships. There was absolute terror and they hadn't had a clue of their next move.

As they stood at the Siene River viewing all the destruction and mayhem, the Eiffel tower began to creak and groan loudly as it leaned to the side. The sound of the bending and twisting metal was audible at that distance and Anna covered her mouth as she watched her favorite idol of Paris started to break apart and fall. The fire and smoke covered most of what could be seen but she knew instantly that it was collapsing. The top half of the tower hit its peak of strain from the pressure of fire and heat. It snapped at its joints and bindings and the tower fell. With a loud crash, a plume of dust and smoke shot into the air.

"Oh no…" muttered Anna. _Paris… My home…_

"Anna, we gotta go," Booker urged. Just then Anna gasped as she remembered their dog, Sally. The attack on the Cathedral was dangerously within proximity to their home and in that instant, she hurriedly rushed in that direction. "Booker! Sally! We have to see if she's alright."

They swiftly ran toward their home, evading all the bodies, rubble, and people. The rumbling ground refused to desist and continued its tremors as reality shifted toward a new one. Buildings came crumbling down as they ran. A blast from an aerial cannon smashed into a building beside them, causing the bricks and everything else to tumble down to the ground. Anna had lost her balance from the shockwave and fell to the ground. "Be careful!" Booker shouted as he ran up to her. She looked at the base of the building and noticed a splicer whom had targeted her with his electrified hand. Her eyes widened as the splicer stretched his arm, sending a jolt of electricity toward her.

Just in the nick of time, Booker jumped into the direction of the electricity and took the brunt of the shock. He groaned and clenched his teeth from the nerve riding pain. "Booker! No!" she said as she immediately stood to her feet and aimed her pistol at the thug, digging several rounds into his chest. Booker fell to one knee and heaved as he struggled regaining composure. "Are you okay?" she worriedly asked as she held him. "Yeah, I'm fine. One hit from Shock Jockey ain't gonna put me down."

With a sigh of relief, she quickly explained, "That was Electro bolt. Raptures version of Shock Jockey."

"All the same to me," Booker responded as he stood to his feet after regaining sensation again.

"C'mon. We gotta make it home. Then Cohen. I suppose Evelyn can wait," said Anna.

They returned to the pace in which they ran. Soon after they had passed some familiar shops, they took a turn around the corner but to Anna's horror, some of the houses in her neighborhood were on fire. She stopped and stared at the burning homes in disbelief. Booker whom was right behind her, turned the corner and noticed the terrible view as well but didn't stop. He grabbed her wrist and ran onwards. "C'mon!" he urged.

Finally they approached their home. Anna gasped, followed by a scream, "No!" She couldn't believe she saw. Their beautiful home was now on fire and half of it had collapsed inward. "No! Sally!" she cried. Booker held his head as he watched his home burn to the ground. Anna began to cry as she watched as the place she knew for years was crumbling before her very eyes. The windows shattered from heat parts of the house fell to the floor, lighting the grass and flowers in flames. "Why?!" she cried. "I only had her for a day. Why does everything good get taken away from me?"

Booker comfortingly rested his hand on her back and in that instant, she fell into his chest. She quietly cried as she held onto to her. Booker had no words to say but instead soothed her with his loving affection. "It was just yesterday that I've felt true happiness," she whimpered. Booker looked into the window where he saw where her favorite vase once stood. There was nothing but fire and smoke. He shook his head and stared into the sky._ How did all of this happen so fast? He wondered. _Her tears eventually slowed to a stop as she lifted her head to wipe her tears. "It was just an hour ago, I thought my life couldn't get better. All of this mindless death and destruction; will it ever stop?" she sniffled.

"Everything's gonna alright. Don't you worry, we'll go somewhere far away where trouble can't find us."

"No… It will always find us. Until we stop it, death will be at our doorstep. We have to break the cycle," she disappointedly muttered.

"But you're with child. I can't have you running around getting hurt."

He had just looked up in time to realize a ball of fire blazing toward them at high speed. He quickly reacted and leapt to the side with her in still in his arms. They rolled as the ball exploded once it hit ground, spitting flames in all directions. A moment later and they would have been burnt to ashes. Anna yelped as they tumbled. Some of the flames had caught on Booker's shirt and pants, as well as Anna's garments. He stood up to quench their flames and Anna helped by quickly patting him. Luckily they had quelled the embers without gathering injuries. She coughed from the hot smoke and deadly fumes that swiftly surrounded them. Booker instinctively lifted her off her feet and ran to a safe distance away from the smog. He stopped by a fountain nearby and set her on its rim. In it was still fresh water. Anna still coughed when he had set her down so she doused her face with water and drank of its invigorating coolness.

He took a deep breath and rested his hand on his hips while staring at the chaos that was once peaceful Paris. _This whole thing's a god damn nightmare._

She stood to her feet and grabbed his attention after she washed her face and refreshed her lungs. "Booker. If we don't do something, if we don't end this cycle… Our child will suffer the same fate."

"It's better to let sleeping dogs lie," Booker replied.

"And do what? Run away from this altogether and have it catch us in the end? I am _not_ going to sit around and wait until something comes and steals you from me. I'm done being a victim. We'd be better off, us DeWitts, if we could finish this once and for all.

He shook his head and rubbed his face in realization that they will once again be pulled on another difficult journey with many risks. "Shit…" he cursed as he stared at the burning city. "So then it's decided."

"Somehow, we're connected to this. No, we're the center of it all; this cycle of meaningless death and destruction," she said as she began rolling up her sleeves.

"Then we'll get to the bottom of things."

"And we'll end it for good."

"Alright. Just stay close to me at all times."

"Okay," she agreed.

Their clothes were grungy and tattered from all of today's events. They looked as if they had been in war trenches and fighting fire. Anna finished rolling up her sleeves as did Booker. She pulled her hair back into a high ponytail, tying it with Booker's red ascot that she never leaves behind. Her hair still dangled past her shoulders. With an appreciative smile, Booker complimented her. "That look suits you." She returned with a smile likewise.

"Ready?" Booker asked.

"To make things right? Yes."

"Let's go to that bridge and look for Cohen."

The made their way to the bridge where Cohen should have been. It was not far from their location and they arrived fairly quickly. They reached the foot of the bridge and realized it had been shot in half, disconnected by the blasts of the airships. There was no way to cross. However looking to cross wasn't their intention and they had found something else much more intriguing.

"There's the son of bitch," Booker said while they approached him.

"Wait a second," Anna said when she realized the person might have been someone else. She noticed their hair was auburn and wrapped into a bun. "I don't think that's the person we're looking for."

"You're right…" Booker snarled. Anna then recognized who it was and uttered her name in disgust, "Evelyn…"

The lady of Paris slowly turned to face the DeWitts whom stood just meters away. Anna's contempt was made obvious and rightly so. She made sure Evelyn could see her scowl at a distance. Evelyn wore a half smile. She was pleased to see him and even more pleased to see Anna. She had a secret plan hidden from them.

"Evelyn, what are you doing here?" Booker asked

"I should ask the same about your daughter."

"You should be somewhere safe, not here. How did you…"

"As should you my dear," she interrupted. "You look worse for wear, still handsome in the midst of battle I see."

"I'd watch my words if I were you," Anna warned.

"Or you'll do what exactly?"

"You'd surprised at what I can do," she replied with grimace.

"You would be foolish to think that Shock Jockey can stop me again."

Anna's mouth opened in surprise at how Evelyn knew that she used Shock Jockey and that how it was Anna behind the curtain. Evelyn decided to ignore her and considered the pompous girl dead weight. "We're at war Booker. Things are changing. This entire world will come to an end."

The DeWitts frowned in confusion from her ridiculous statement. "The hell are you talking about?" Booker demanded.

"I'm talking about Paris and all of what you know. It will soon perish. There is a place however, that will be a refuge for all whom are worthy."

"Worthy of what?" Anna barked.

"Worthy of new life. It is a safe haven, the last bastion of mankind: Elysium. A place where small islands filled with homes float and waterfalls decorate them; all circling a mountaintop that houses a wondrous city. I sometimes call it Zion. I came from seven years ahead to tell you this; to have you return there with me."

Her last sentence brought a flurry of confusion and utter shock. Booker squinted his eyes in complete disbelief and skepticism. There was no way they would believe an outrageous claim that she had just laid in front of them. _Seven years ahead? What? Does that mean she came from the future? It can't be! _Anna thought. There were hundreds of questions that they wanted to ask. How was she going to bring him there? What is this war? Why it started? Where and what exactly is Elysium and why does Evelyn want him? These all ran through their mind along with multiple other inquiries.

"I know what's going on in that head of yours Elizabeth. Or should I say Anna. You're doubting what I'm saying, yet wondering if it was possible," Evelyn said in confidence.

Anna widened her eyes but held her scowl at her enemy. Nothing made sense at the moment to the DeWitts. How Evelyn got her name and knew their secret; it was a mystery to them, including this place called Elysium.

Suddenly Booker had a flashback of his dream. The memory of how he lost the love of his life. The vision shot through him like lightning and with an overwhelming urge of emergency, he immediately whipped out his pistol and swung around and aimed it at the person whom had just grabbed Anna. She yelped as it all happened. "Booker!" If it hadn't been for the help of Lonnie and his vial, Anna would truly be dead. The mysterious person had her in a headlock with a pistol dug into her head. He looked like a lackey of some sort, a mindless goon. "Drop the gun!" Booker demanded. The grunt looked back and forth between Evelyn and Booker. He didn't know what to do. Evelyn was not pleased that her plan didn't go accordingly and quickly ordered for her hired person to shoot her.

Then, just as silently as the hired gun snuck up on Anna, another one snuck past Booker's peripherals, pointing his gun at Booker's head. With a scattered and broken voice, he threatened, "You first chump." He spoke like that of an ADAM addict and Anna noticed it. "No! Booker!" she struggled. "Be still you little floosy, you wanna die?" the goon said as he fought to hold her tight.

"Let her go you little shit!" Booker shouted in anger. "Shut up!" the other goon barked at Booker. "You make a move and both of you die today."

Evelyn again sent out another order, "Dispose of the girl but do not harm him."

The situation became even more complicated when Charles stepped into the picture. Evelyn looked over at him when he burst into the scene. Luckily he already had his gun drawn and aimed it at the lackey who threatened Booker. "You might want to lower you weapon," Charles said.

The lackeys then looked at Evelyn for further instruction. They wanted to follow instructions but didn't want to die in the process. Evelyn's patience was wearing thin as she watched the totally ridiculous scenario. "Just shoot the tramp and the audacious bastard wearing the ugly fedora!"

"Mr. DeWitt. I came as fast as I could. You want to fill me in on the details of this?" said he.

As if the situation wasn't difficult, then came Lonnie who silently approached Evelyn from behind. She was too enthralled in the mess to hear his footsteps. The sound of a mechanical click behind her was familiar to Evelyn and she knew exactly what it was; a gun. Everyone had looked over Lonnie whom suddenly appeared from thin air.

"Evelyn…" Lonnie uttered as he held his pistol at her and smoked his pipe. She immediately calmed her stature and without looking back she replied, "Brother…"

"Brother?" Booker muttered. "Didn't know you had a sister Cohen. Wanna tell her to have these guys lay off?"

"Cohen?" Evelyn sneered. "What else did you tell them? That you could improve their future? Why don't you tell them the truth? Tsk tsk, you really shouldn't a lie."

"It must run in the family, does it not? Miss Evelyn Lutece?"

"Lutece?!" Booker and Anna spoke in surprise. _So she turned bad, Fink is good, Fitzroy is oppressive. There must be some role reversal, _Booker thought.

Booker had no words but, "Anna, what do you make of this?" Being just as confused as he was, she replied, "I-I'm not so sure."

"So you've followed me back in time to stop my work? You're not going to shoot me, Evard," Evelyn spoke as she stared dead at Booker and Anna.

"No, perhaps not," Evard responded. The instant he finished his sentence, he quickly switched his aim to the goon whom threatened Booker and pulled the trigger, sending a slug to his head. The loud bang and the falling of a lackey had the other goon distracted. Booker seized the opportunity and shot him in the shoulder. He flinched as the bullet pierced him. Anna escaped his grasp, quickly spinning around to kick him in between the legs. The grunt fell to the ground and tumbled around in pain. Booker walked over and kicked the gun away from him.

"Enough!" Evelyn said as she stretched out her arm. It began to glow white and pulsate with an aura. "I've had just about enough of your ridiculous relationship. Elizabeth, your child cannot live. It is the abomination of the future. Booker, your must realize your better life is with me but not yet. First you mustn't be with her. Maybe an impossible gap will separate you two."

Suddenly, two tears loudly rip open on both sides of Booker and Anna and with a flick of Evelyn's hand, gravity from each tear aggressively tugged at them, separating them. "The hell?!" shouted Booker. "Tears?!" Anna shouted likewise. The felt and saw themselves be yanked in opposite directions. There wasn't much time to talk to think so they desperately reached for each other but were only able to touch fingertips. "Booker!" she yelled. "Anna!" They looked into each other's eyes one last time before the tear closed on them, completely severing their connection.

..

The force threw him and he rolled on a wooden floor, spinning until he smacked into a dusty wall. The impact caused portraits to fall from the wall, landing on him. He cough as the hit shook his body and lungs. Booker quickly regain his stature and stood to his feet. _Where am I? _The room he was in was dark. He could hear wind passing by.

Meanwhile Anna was thrown likewise but had a softer landing due to the carpet cushioning her body. She rolled anyways but luckily into a couch that has been misplaced. A moan escaped her body from the discomfort of the forceful pull. It had been a while since she felt anything like this. Water dripped on her head from where she laid. She shielded her herself as she stood to her feet._ Booker…_ she thought. _How could this happen? _

Then she found herself in a place she'd never imagine being. She recognized the view when she looked out the dew sprinkled window. Fortunately she had a pistol and the Q-Vox in hand. She then remembered the note and all it said and pulled out the Q-Vox. She fumbled around and found the 'On' button and immediately switched it on. There was no other button except a volume wheel which she dialed in on high. She spoke into the Q-Vox, hoping Booker would answer. "Booker? Booker are you there?"

He found himself staring out a window and into a dark and gloomy sky. He knew exactly where he was did not like what he saw. _Anna…_ He thought as he paced over to a dust and dirt ridden bed to have a seat. _How am I going to find you again?_ He reached into his pocket for items that were could be of use and remembered about the Q-Vox. Fortunately it hadn't fallen out of his pocket. He quickly extracted it and turned it on after locating the power button.

"Booker, please… please answer me…"

"Anna!" he said in relief.

"Booker! Oh my god. I thought I'd lost you." There was pure gladness in her voice. She was happy that they could still hear each other and communicate. "Are you hurt?"

"I thought the same too. No, I'm fine. You alright?" Booker asked. He felt the same. It was a good peace of mind when he heard her voice.

"For now. How could we have let this happen?" She said with a bit of disappointment and regret in her voice. Anna walked over to the dripping wet window and gazed out of it. It was the one place she wish she'd never be again. "We couldn't have predicted this," he said with a husky tone. He noticed her voice had changed too and that only meant something bad.

"I don't like where I am..."she said under her voice.

"And where's that?"

"…A bad place. Somewhere you never want to visit. I'm back in Rapture. Where are you?" she regrettably answered.

"You wouldn't believe where I'm at: Columbia. Cept' its all fallen to the ground."

There was momentary silence between them. She could hear him sigh over the Q-Vox thousands of miles away. They had found themselves in another predicament, one where a sea separated them. La Mer by Django Rainhardt played over the speaker as she sat on the couch. "It looks like we got ourselves into a mess… All because of that bitch Evelyn," Anna scoffed. "We'll make it," he replied. Booker could hear the music play over Q-Vox. It was to his liking and he commented, "Fancy song there…"

"It's lovely isn't it? It reminds me of you; sensual, powerful, and masculine." There was no reply from him but she knew he was smiling on the other end. Even in a situation that would cause panic and anxiety, they remained calm; even managed a smile in the midst of the worst. Everything they have been through prepared them for this.

"My Q-Vox date says 1920. So I was right. All of the universes collided and Rapture was pulled into ours."

"So we're seven years into the future… Great," he sarcastically added. They sat in silence for a bit, taking in their grand misfortune and all the while, enjoying the beautiful song that played in the background.

"I miss you already…" she spoke under her breath.

"Miss you too… I love you."

It was good hear him tell her that and she replied with a smile. "I love you too."

..

* * *

**Afterword**

First I just want to great thank all my loyal readers through this long journey of writing my sequel. I wouldn't have been able to make it if it had not been for my supporters. Your reviews have been greatly appreciated. I smile every time I read them. I never thought that it would be liked this much. I had a blast writing this sequel. Every bit of it was fun. Thank you guys again. I gave the title proper meaning and now with Booker and Anna in Columbia and Rapture, my picture for Loveshock 2 makes sense.

One of the most challenging aspects of writing this sequel was doing the brainstorming, drafting, script writing, and transferring it all over to a juicy complete narrative format. That was painful and there were countless times where I found myself stuck, unable to move forward. My longest sitting in writing was about 6 hours. No bathroom breaks. In the end, I saw that completed several thousand words. I smiled. It was worth it. I did it for my characters and my readers.

Another challenge I had to overcome was to continually focus on keeping my characters in character. Anna/Elizabeth was moderately difficult. I had to find the middle ground between happy innocent Liz and cold-hearted murderer Liz. She's no longer innocent and adorable but neither is she depressed and angry anymore. She's happy and with Booker. I had to figure out how her personality would be at the age of 26 after all that she endured. She still has a kind heart and generously loves yet isn't afraid to do damage when time calls for it; like pick up a pistol and shoot or kick a guy in the nuts. She wielded a shotgun and other guns in BAS2 and has no problem killing. I would like to think I've found a good medium. Smart, caring, loving, cute, stubborn, strong, and still able to kick ass.

Booker on the other hand, God was that hard. He has such a dull personality, almost like a brick. He's a type of guy that doesn't say much; grunts most of the time and minds his own business. I had to add some life to him without making him someone else. Tough guy but a bland guy. There were times where I would say, "No, he wouldn't say that," or "No, he wouldn't do that." He was definitely a challenge, especially getting things like humor and other aspects of personality out of him.

All in all I had great fun in writing. It should of taken much less time but I had no editor or publisher, no beta reader either. Plus I have work and a life. Everything that you see all came from me. I'm not trying to brag, I'm just saying if I was super dedicated like George R. R. Martin, Loveshock 3 would have been out by now. lol

Speaking of which and I know you have been dying for my thoughts and comments on this. Loveshock 3? Honestly still up in the air. I'm still not sure whether I should write it or not. Mainly because of this reason: my writing juices are running dry. I don't want to write a novel and have it bore you guys to death or disappoint either. I was surprised my inspiration of Bioshock lasted this long. Loveshock 1 and 2 has been a great hit and I like to leave it at that. I read all of your reviews and suggestions, had a great laugh too. They are great and I extremely appreciate all of your wonderful thoughts, comments, reviews, and enjoyment. I have definitely taken into consideration all of your suggestions. :) It isn't a definite "yes" that I will finish my trilogy, but it isn't a "no" either. I have left enough room for a good narrative and plot for my third one. LOTS of room I would say. lol I know you have a ton of questions to ask. Well, they will be answered if Loveshock 3 appears.

I remember what I said in the beginning in the 1st chapter. I wanted to bring you guys smiles, tears, laughter, frowns, and everything else that makes a great narrative. I hope I have had the pleasure in providing you guys a memorial story, one that you will think about for days. It has been my greatest honor to have readers like you. I will remember our long journey. Thanks for sticking through to the end. This good bye for now but not forever.

Regards

Trin-Zik

..

..

* * *

**Preview**

**Loveshock 3 - Elysium**

**Some chapter **

**somewhere**

"Damnit Anna! Hold on!" Booker shouted as he flung himself off the sky platform and toward his falling love. "Booker!" she desperately shouted as she fell through the air. They were 8000 feet sky high. 8000 feet full of danger and despair. There was nothing to grab hold of, no sky rail, no sky platform, and nobody but Booker to save her. She was empty of her spritz and her djinn were asleep. Booker had just acquired his sky djinn but was reluctant to utilize them. He hated anything that crawled in or around his body but he had to, for the sake of his love.

As they were plummeting off of Sanctum Island, the wind grew fierce, threatening to steal his love away. With great hesitation he activated his sky djinn, Aerial and his entire body glowed blue like the horizon. An aura pulsated from him as he stretched his arm toward her. Then a gust formed underneath her, pushing her toward him. Her expression reminded him of when they first fell off Monument Island in Columbia. He was always there to save her and would always do so. He was her hero. Quickly he grabbed her and held her snug tight. His spritz was low and using a bit more of it, he jetted himself with a gust of wind toward the closest island; A minor island floating beneath the major continents called Aquam Real.

Booker made sure he didn't land in the stream or it will shove them to the waterfall and back into the air. He carefully positioned his feet for the grass and cushioned the landing by completely emptying his spritz. There, he was done. They were both empty. He set her down on the grass and they smiled at the close call. They starred at the marvelous grand city of Elysium on that mountain top. Without any spritz left, Aerial would be useless. They don't have any other djinn that would be of use. It was impossible to fly from one floating island to the next. "Too bad this place aint got sky rails. We could use something like that," Booker said.

"We'll figure something out. C'mon maybe there's something here that could help," Anna suggested.

Off they ventured into the small island, looking for clues and help, anything that would get them to Evelyn.


End file.
